Daughter of Avalon
by Arwen17evenstar
Summary: Melody, a young daughter of Avalon, with a mysterious past. Hallmark BBC Merlin 1998 Sam Neill Miranda Richardson Nimue Queen Mab
1. Chapter 1

I am a Daughter of Avalon. It means I have lived in Avalon, the Isle of Apples, my entire life. We are a Christian place of healing. We look to the one God for our love, faith, and trust. My mother also lived her entire life in Avalon and it is here that she gave birth to me. Though I have heard many strange whispers among the injured travelers that come to us, I have never seen the world beyond Avalon's walls. I wonder sometimes what is out there. But then I chastise myself for having such thoughts. Avalon is my home. My purpose lies here in the healing of others. There is no else I belong to except my mother and God. I am a faithful Christian and that is the way I wish it to remain.

One of the younger girls spilled the water bucket all over the walkway. I carried my bucket past the scene, ignoring the chastisements of the girl by the matron in charge. She would likely be struck before the end of it. She was always making mistakes and the matron was tiring of her. The girl would not be permanently damaged, that was not Avalon's way, but the monastery did believe in strict discipline. It was the only way men and women could live so close to one another and be assured that there would be no improper conduct, as well as other improprieties. This was why noblemen were not afraid to send their daughters to Avalon for schooling. They knew they would be well looked after by over-bearing nuns.

"Melody!" the matron barked for her. She almost dropped her bucket in surprise and then turned to face the matron guiltily. "Take this girl with you. She is absolutely useless and I'm tired of looking at her."

"What should I do with her?" she asked, as the younger girl moved to hide in Melody's shadow.

"I don't care. Just put her to work and make sure its something she can handle. You're responsible for her now." the matron dismissed her.

Melody dumped her bucket into the holding bowl in the last bedroom. Now the nuns would be stocked with water for the rest of the day. The young novices would do it all over again the next morning. Melody turned to face the young girl hiding just behind her. "What is your name?"

"Nydia" her soft voice answered. The girl was small, with brown hair and blue eyes. She hunched her body as though she were afraid of doing something wrong, which given her record, would probably happen all too soon. Melody pitied her, but she was also irritated at the extra baggage she had been handed for the day. Nydia would cling to her all day long like a frightened rabbit. Melody sighed aloud, "Herb gathering ok? You know how to do that right?"

Nydia nodded quickly. "Then let's go." Melody lead the way.

Melody sat by her basket in the garden as her quick fingers tied string around another fresh bundle of herbs. Nydia worked silently beside her. Their two baskets were almost full. They had collected a variety of things today based on the requests of the nuns who were doing the healing. Sage, aloe, catnip, nettle, clover, feverfew, skullcap, and bloodwort filled their baskets, but were still arranged in a neat order. Melody secretly slipped some lavender in her pocket to use for later.

After she finished delivering the herbs, Melody decided to see if her mother needed anything. Nydia trailed behind her the entire time. She entered the room of a patient with severe burns. He had apparently been accidentally shoved into a cooking fire in a great stone castle far away. Her mother was usually given victims of burns because she could sympathize with them more than most. She herself had been burned by fire when she was young. Melody had once asked how it happened and her mother had remained silent for so long she wasn't certain she would get an answer. Then her mother had told her in a quiet voice that it had happened during the great wars and that she had been burned in a frightening attack on her village.

Melody leaned against the doorway as she watched her mother's gentle fingers assess the damage on the poor man. Nimue glanced up at her daughter lounging calmly in the doorway. "You can come in."

Melody moved to help her and Nydia followed. Melody silently passed whatever object, herb or bandage, her mother requested. Nydia waited in the shadows of the dying sunset.

Afterwards, Melody finally shooed Nydia away and retired with her mother to their chamber. Her mother lit the candles and opened the window to let the cool night air into the bedroom. They shared a bed because there weren't enough beds in Avalon for everyone to have their own. Nimue opened the window because it could get very hot and uncomfortable during the summer when you were that close to another body.

Nimue trembled suddenly as she looked at her daughter. "Mother, what's wrong?" Melody asked with concern.

"Nothing, my child." She brushed Melody's dark hair back and stared down into her daughter's perfect green eyes. Her mother flinched when Melody's mouth began to form words. Melody paused in concern again and said nothing. "Let's just go to bed. I'm seeing things tonight that I'd rather not remember." Nimue vaguely explained away her behavior.

Melody curled up on the bed next to her mother. Nimue gathered her child into her arms and held her like she was still a little girl. Melody fell asleep instantly, but Nimue was wide awake for hours. Most nights Nimue had no trouble falling to sleep, but sometimes old memories would go chasing themselves through her mind again. Did Melody scar her with fire or was that someone else? It had taken years before she was able to touch Melody's beautiful hair without flinching and to meet and hold her gaze to those emerald, green eyes. Melody didn't remember her mother's earliest fearful behavior towards her thankfully. She had been too young. But Nimue still remembered everything. Sometimes, when Nimue looked at her daughter, she would swear she saw something else staring at her behind those jewel-bright eyes.

She trembled as she held on tightly to her daughter, the object of her love and loathing.

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><p><strong>Second chapter will be up soon. So review this one quickly!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Melody drew herself up to her full height as she tried to see beyond the walls. She had climbed up the ivy behind the horse stable. There were thorns all over the vines, but the risk was worth it. Her father was coming to visit for the first time since Melody was born. Her birth had been one of Avalon's greatest scandals in a long time.

Nimue had broken her vow of chastity, unthinkable for a nun. She would have been expelled except for the fact that her relatives had stepped in and paid a great deal of money to the monastery to keep her and a promise was made that her child would be raised firmly in the Christian ways. Nimue was a good healer, a kind person, and a faithful woman. They had all been surprised by her transgression. The only one she had ever committed in her life.

The last requirement for keeping Nimue in Avalon had been that the father would be banned for all eternity and no mention made of him ever again. But one of the sisters had confided in her that the man visiting today was indeed her father. Nuns didn't lie, so Melody believed her. The man wouldn't be allowed in, but he was delivering news to the monastery. He did so every year apparently. Melody had never been aware of this before. Did he return frequently because he hoped to catch a glimpse of her mother or the child he had never seen? Melody leaned dangerously over the wall as she excitedly watched a horseman approach the gate. It was forbidden to mention his name or anything else. If anyone spoke of him, they would be expelled from Avalon. Melody had been kept deliberately ignorant. Was her father a prince, a lord? There were many exciting possibilities, but she knew nothing of her father. Even her own mother would not break the promise of silence she had made to the monastery, already fearful of the wrath of God for broken promises.

Melody frowned at the the horseman below as he talked to the gate-man. He was too far away to pick up any details, all she could tell was that he was wearing a green and brown cloak. Suddenly, the man looked up at her and she froze. But then he looked down at the gate-man again and continued talking about things she was unable to hear. She breathed out and laughed at herself. She was too far away for him to see her even if he had been staring in her direction. This was utter foolishness. Here she was perched on the wall like some bird in a fruitless effort to see a man she had never met and never would meet. She snorted at herself and climbed back down the vine, glad to be rid of her childish fantasies.

Melody sat under the apple tree in the courtyard, staring up at the moon. She was out after curfew. If anyone found her here, she would be punished, but she loved to sit her in the quiet, calm night. She didn't see any harm in it. She was completely silent and still, with no desire to disturb or harm anyone.

Melody pulled the old lavender out of her white novice robes. It still had a lovely smell to it. She had smelled of lavender the past several days and her mother had asked her whether she had been in the herb garden that often.

That's when a glint caught the corner of Melody's eye. She peered curiously through the vegetation and found a shiny, silvery mirror. "A mirror in Avalon?" she whispered with wonder. She had never seen her own reflection in a mirror before. She had seen her reflection in puddles or her water bucket, but that was it. Such vanity was not condoned by Avalon and so mirrors were not allowed.

She didn't dare look at herself, but slipped the mirror into her robes as she glanced around, almost frightened that a lightning bolt would come out of no where to punish her. But the night was as still and silent as ever.

Melody contemplated where to hide her mirror. Unfortunately, she couldn't hide it in her room. There was very little to hide it under and since she shared the room with her mother, Nimue would come across it in no time. Melody opted for a small space in the stone wall she had found when climbing the prickly vines behind the stables. It was a very small space, but it was dry and would protect the mirror from the weather. She wrapped it in cloth and stowed it away there before retiring to her bed.

The next day, Melody was called in to help with healing, a great honor for a novice. Novices were usually only given menial tasks and chores. She followed her mother's lead and applied the salves in the right places and bandaged the burns with skill and care. Nydia silently waited on her and passed her whatever she needed. Nimue let Melody do most of the work, only offering advice and instruction where she was needed as she watched her daughter work.

Three months later, Melody and Nimue kneeled on the stone floor with the rest of the sisters as evening prayers began. Melody felt a burning between her breasts and shifted slightly in discomfort. Her mother glanced at her, wondering, Melody had always been so good at remaining perfectly still no matter how much time had passed, but now she was fidgeting.

Prayers finished and Melody immediately excused herself with Nimue frowning after her.

Melody reached her hiding place by the wall and pulled the shard out from under her robes. It was the shard of some rock or crystal she had found on the ground weeks ago and she had strung it and worn it as a necklace underneath her clothes. Jewelry was forbidden, but keeping it on her body, and not in her room and not in her pockets, was the safest bet. Usually she kept it hidden in her hiding-hole with her mirror, but today she had decided to wear it.

It settled at the top of her breasts and it had started to burn like fire against her skin during evening prayer. Why? Had God finally decided to take issue with her minor transgressions? Was the burning a warning that he knew she looked into that mirror often and saw strange and wonderful things upon its surface? She had once tried asking the mirror to show her her father's face, but it did nothing. The mirror showed her whatever it wanted to, regardless of her desires. She had become so frustrated that she had ended up screaming at the mirror demanding to see her father's face and then she had stopped abruptly, afraid of being overheard. Was that why God was upset with her now? Because she had deliberately tried to break the ban and asked to see her father?

She thought about smashing the mirror several times, but each time had been unable to find the strength of will to do it. She spent hours every night gazing into it, spellbound and starved by the visions she saw in its depths. It had become her world.

But the visions of the mirror began to grow darker over time and frightened her, one time it showed her a vision so horrible she accidentally dropped the mirror and it shattered into a thousand pieces. She looked down at it in shock and then felt the first tears drip down her face. But before she could lose herself in her sorrow, the mirror literally put itself back together again before her very eyes. She was terrified of it after that and hid it back in her hiding-hole.

Melody cast the burning shard away from her and watched it disappear into the long grass. She hesitated for a moment, then she looked for it until she found it again. Clutching it in her hand again, she felt like crushing the shard into powder. But she put it back around her neck instead, nestled between her breasts and safe once more. It no longer burned, but Melody was still hit with a powerful wave of doubt. Either she was losing her mind or she had done something very bad.

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><p><strong>Tut, tut, Melody,...playing with forces you don't understand. Please Review!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

She had a very strange dream one night. She had been startled awake by someone stroking her face. She shifted her body in the warm bed. She could feel her mother's body pressed against her back. But now someone was stroking her hair. Melody figured it was her mother so it didn't worry her. She snuggled closer. Then there was a light teasing laugh and a subtle kiss to her cheek. Her eyes flashed open, but there was no one there. Her crystal was burning again and her skin felt suddenly feverish. She slid carefully out of bed so as not to disturb her mother and headed for the cooler air outside.

It was freezing in the courtyard. The evening rain was frozen to the grass like dewdrops. The shard burned against her hot skin like fire. She reached up to cast it away. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." a dry hiss came from no where.

She paused, frozen in terror, afraid someone had finally caught her out after curfew. She wheeled all the way around, but saw no one. Maybe she was losing her mind after all. Now she was hearing voices.

A single apple dropped from the tree above and hit the ground right in front of her. She flinched.

Terror, followed by anger, surged through her. "That's it! Enough games!" she challenged the empty courtyard.

To prove her point, she ripped the shard from its string and threw it away with all her strength. But the shard did not hit the ground, it stopped short and floated in the air in front of her. It wiggled in front of her, just out of reach, as if to tease her. She lunged for it, determined to crush it into powder and be rid of it once and for all. But it flew further out of her reach the moment she moved.

She chased it in a fury until she realized it was leading her somewhere. It had lead her to the wall where she had hidden the mirror. The shard disappeared into the hole. Now she would have to remove the mirror if she wanted to get to it. She reached with trembling fingers and pulled out the mirror. She tried to avoid gazing into its depths afraid of what she would see, but it surprised her. It showed her no vision.

She twisted it this way and that. Why couldn't she see herself? She could see the garden and the trees behind her, but not herself, as if she didn't exist. She gave a cry of horror and scrambled in her hiding-hole until she had reclaimed the shard. As soon as she was holding it, her body reappeared. She was totally invisible unless she was wearing her shard. What sort of horrible curse was this?

Then she noticed another reflection in the mirror and turned to face the woman with dark hair and blue lips. Speechless, she watched as the woman lifted Melody's hair to her face and sniffed it. Looking pleased with something, she reached for Melody's face. Melody started screaming just as those purple talons curled around her face. She was still screaming when her mother shook her awake. "Melody! Melody! What's wrong?"

Melody's nightmares continued, but she managed to not scream anymore. Every night it was that same woman. She didn't do anything to Melody, but it was her very presence that made Melody's skin crawl.

Melody was also seeing strange things everywhere during the day as well. She saw people among the flowers, in the trees, and at the bottom of the pond. They were alien, inhuman creatures and they stared blatantly back at her. But she acted as though she couldn't see them, sure that she was losing her mind. Maybe they would just go away if she pretended for long enough that they weren't really there.

Some of the strange people she saw in the shadows like to chase or tease. She watched them smack, pinch, trip, and push the other oblivious girls. The nuns just thought it was the wind, their own clumsiness, or some other inconsequential reason. These invisible beings were particularly preoccupied with Nydia. No wonder she was so clumsy. They picked on the girl constantly. Melody wanted to help her even more now. She wanted to give a good kick to those things. But she didn't. She never reacted, she never showed she was aware of their presence because she suspected Nydia could see them and they were punishing Nydia for it.

Melody believed this because, occasionally, Nydia would move out of the way at the last moment as though she was aware they were there. This only irritated them and made them more determined to trip the girl. It was clear these beings didn't like it when their tricks were foiled. It was best to pretend you couldn't see them so they wouldn't hound you constantly. Like attention-seeking children, if they knew they were visible to your eyes, they would never leave you alone.

Now Melody lived with the same fear Nydia did. That someone would discover she could see things that shouldn't be there.

One of the worst days of her life began with sunshine. It was a brisk morning and everyone was enjoying the nice weather in the herb garden. Even the invisible-people seemed more content than usual and caused less mischief that morning. Nydia was able to carry her bucket all the way and back without being tripped or harassed by them. But they were showing an unusual amount of interest in Melody herself by the afternoon, which worried Melody. They purposely walked next to Melody and brushed up against her. They touched her hair and smelled her occasionally. Had she done something wrong? Did they know her secret, that she could actually see them?

Their voices, which originally had spoken some strange language that made no sense to her, were becoming clearer as well. She was starting to understand their language from listening to it for so many months. She wondered if Nydia already knew the language. Perhaps the girl had been listening to them all her life. There were so many questions she would have liked to ask the girl, but she was afraid. Afraid the invisible-people would hear her questions and then her secret would be revealed to them.

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><p><strong>Do you see dead people? Do you hear voices? I certainly hope not! Please REVIEW!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

The unusual interest in her continued for the rest of the day and well into the evening. Nydia glanced at her a few times, but Melody pretended not to notice. Her suspicions were confirmed that Nydia could indeed see them.

_She smells of lavender._ One of the male invisible-people spoke in his strange tongue and Melody understood it as perfectly as if it were English. He pressed his face into her hair and breathed deeply. It took all her self-control to not show the slightest outward sign nor to turn and punch him in the face. The invisible-people had no respect for personal boundaries. There was several raucous giggles from some of the others nearby. Recently, they had made concentration on anything impossible. Her mother was really starting to worry about her. She was almost as distracted and fidgety as Nydia these days.

She had even seen some of the invisible-people deliberately grope unsuspecting victims. So far they hadn't tried that with her yet and she wasn't sure if she'd have the strength to pretend nothing was happening if they did try it.

After evening prayers were finished, Melody wandered back into the garden. She found Nydia crying in the garden, caught up in a cruel game with the invisible-people where they tried to grope her again and again and she tried to make them stop._ That's it._ Melody charged forward in anger. She didn't acknowledge them in any way, but her apparent wrath seemed to scatter them briefly. "Nydia, you should go to bed."

Nydia nodded, wiped the tears from her eyes, and fled to her bedroom. The invisible-people were more plentiful in the garden than anywhere else. Melody hated them. She hated them. They had ruined her life for months, stolen away the quiet and tranquility of the garden and now she never had a moment's peace. They were everywhere, there was no privacy anymore. She sat down in the middle of the garden and watched and waited. They crept closer to her. She swore if even one of them touched her, this time she would attack them. This time she would ripe one of them to shreds. But they seemed to sense this somehow, and though they came very close, they did not touch her. Melody found she was able to maintain her personal space for several more hours as she sat there still and silent as stone. They looked like children who wanted to touch, but didn't dare try. A great intensity roiled off her in waves, promising harm to any who disturbed her space.

She woke up the next morning and felt very wet. She looked down and found herself and the bed were soaked with an unusual amount of morning dew and someone had sprinkled green clover all over her. As she brushed herself off with disgust, she heard irritating giggles outside the window. The invisible-people had gotten their revenge for last night, for denying them in their game.

The dark lady was among them today. She had started to appear at times. They gave her a wide berth, which was peculiar in and of itself. They never did that with anyone else. It was even harder not to glare at this new one because she seemed to take amusement in their activities and did nothing to stop them. At one point, Melody had been forced to walk right past the dark lady while pretending she wasn't there. She smelled of mint and thyme with lavender thrown in and there was a darkness about her that said _stay away, do not enter this space._ But the other sisters seemed oblivious to this. They brushed right past her as if they couldn't feel anything. A rare few seemed to frown and then move to the side slightly when they passed but that was all. Melody was forced to walk through that space too, it felt like fingernails scrapping on stone as she walked through that darkness. But she really had no choice. To steer around it would reveal she could sense it and she didn't want to draw any attention to herself.

When the dark lady had first appeared, Nydia had openly gaped at her until Melody kicked her discreetly under the dinner table. Appearing to gape at thin air wasn't smart. But Melody had watched out of the corner of her eye as the dark lady had smiled at Nydia and then wandered away.

Nydia and Melody cleaned the alter room together one long afternoon. The alter room was the one place the invisible-people never seemed to come to. For once, Melody had some privacy. She relaxed her shoulders and let out a sigh. "You can see them, can't you?" Nydia's small voice spoke up.

"What?" Melody asked, feigning bewilderment.

"That dark woman, I've never seen her before, but I have a really bad feeling. She's not like the others." Nydia continued.

"You realize I have no idea what you're rambling about." Melody declared.

Nydia gave her an angry look. "You're a really bad liar."

Melody snatched a piece of paper from a table and wrote _They might hear us._ And then glared pointedly at the windows around them.

Nydia decided to humor her paranoia and wrote back on the paper. _They understand our language?_

_I'm sure of it. And I bet they can read too._

Melody snatched up the paper, tore it into a thousand pieces, and fed it to the nearby fireplace.

After that, Nydia never tried to speak of the invisible-people again, but she stayed closer than ever to Melody. Melody felt slightly happier. At last, she had someone who knew the same as her what was really going on. They couldn't actually say anything aloud, but they said many things to each other with their eyes.

Everything was going great, but then one day Nydia disappeared.

Melody was frantic. The entirety of Avalon Abbey was on edge. One of their own had disappeared without a trace. Secretly, Melody blamed the invisible-people. She didn't have any proof, but she didn't know who else would delight in making people disappear. The urge to confront them grew stronger.

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><p><strong>And the plot thickens...Please Review!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

They had taken her mirror, she was sure of it. Only they would have known her hiding-hole. She hadn't touched the mirror in months, but they seemed to know every nook and cranny. Nydia had vanished and she had finally convinced herself to try to get the mirror to show her where Nydia was. Her crystal shard she still had. She had never taken it off since the last incident with the mirror. If she took it off, she was afraid she might become one of the invisible-people too. Maybe they were all just foolish people who had played with mirrors and found themselves cursed with invisibility as punishment. But they seemed to enjoy their "punishment" far too much from the way they tricked and teased the ignorant people around them. Her fingers curled in anger around the spot where her shard lay underneath her novice robes.

Somehow she had managed to fall asleep outside in the courtyard. She woke up freezing in the middle of the night. Her shoes were thrown several feet from her and wet, green clover had been thrown all over her again. "Oh haha, very funny." she breathed out. Pleased giggling started in the tree above, and completely forgetting herself, she looked up at them. They blinked down at her in shock, then start laughing loudly. _She sees us! She sees us!_ a singsong chant.

Melody quickly looked away, but the game was up. After so many months of being careful, she had revealed herself with one casual mistake.

_Melody! Melody! Sing us a song!_ They had already surrounded her. Melody sat unmoving, not sure what to do. She hadn't planned to reveal herself in this way, at this time.

Then she had an idea. It was clear Nydia had never understood their language despite being able to see them. Melody could pretend to be the same way. She stood up and backed away. But they followed like predators following the smell of blood, eyes glinting in the darkness. She did not run as much as she would have liked too. The invisible-people always chased if you ran from them. She had seen them chase Nydia countless times. So she walked as calmly as she could down the hall back to her bedroom. They followed her to the door, smiling cryptically the entire time as though they had big plans for her. Melody held back a shiver.

The next morning Melody pondered her situation over breakfast.

The problem was, if Melody wished for a direct confrontation, it was impossible to do. The dark lady, the one she thought most likely to be responsible for Nydia's disappearance, only showed up at times when there were other people around. She couldn't start conversing with thin air if there were still people present.

In addition, the dark lady had taken to staring at her intensely, obviously trying to force Melody to look at her, acknowledge her. She was just as bad as the other invisible-peoples' incessant desire for attention. But Melody continued to play the game just as Nydia had tried to play it. _I can't see you. You're not really there._

The dark lady talked about her to the others sometimes in a dry hissing voice. It was clear she didn't think Melody could understand them. _The stubborn child refuses to look at me. Why? She has looked in my direction before._

_I think it's because we know she can see us now. She hates that we know._ one of them replied.

Their conversation faded as they moved away from her. Melody tried to eavesdrop as much as she could without being obvious, hoping they would mention something about Nydia. But they never did.

Melody didn't exactly understand why the dark lady didn't grope her to get her attention. Plenty of the others groped her when nothing else worked because it always got a reaction from her. But from the look of arrogance on the dark lady's face, Melody suspected such tactics were beneath her. She was too proud to resort to such means, so she contented herself with staring at Melody for long hours.

Then a few days later, the dark lady came up with a new trick. Melody was walking past the dark lady, studiously ignoring her, when she saw her mirror! The lady dropped the mirror and Melody reached out to catch it on reflex. She stared down at it. It was definitely her mirror. The silver-spun edges were just as she remembered them. She looked up at the dark lady in surprise and found herself caught in the lady's gaze. Emerald green eyes held her and rooted her to the spot. She wasn't sure how long they stared at each other, only that she didn't have the strength to look away. She was utterly trapped just like Nydia had been that first time. Melody had been able to kick Nydia to snap her out of it, but there was no one here to kick her.

Would she be trapped like this all night?

_You've given me and mine great frustration. I have a desire to make you stand here all night with me, and perhaps longer, to repay all the times you refused to look at me._

Melody gripped her mirror tightly and the edge of the mirror cut into her fingers, but those eyes just wouldn't release her. "Are you going to make me disappear too?" Melody asked aloud in terror and without thinking used the invisible-peoples' language.

The dark lady raised an eyebrow. "You terrible girl. Not only have you been able to see and hear us, and yet ignored us, you also apparently have understood our language the entire time."

The dark lady reached out for her and Melody felt like she would scream if she wasn't frozen stiff by the lady's gaze.  
>"You are a nasty and unkind child." The lady touched her face and jerked her closer. The darkness guarding the lady's personal space slithered over Melody's skin like unseen snakes. She was too close and her presence was suffocating. The intensity Melody had felt in the garden when she had held the others at bay came to her again. But the lady did not care. She seemed to only draw closer instead of backing away, excited by the energy. The lady placed a kiss on the corner of her mouth. <em>She tastes of high magic and sex.<em> Melody thought, but didn't know how she knew this. Her body had gone limp in the lady's arms, as defenseless as a rag-doll. The lady traced her fingers against any piece of bare skin she could find. "mmmhhh...It has been awhile. Nydia was never this docile."

That callous comment gave Melody her strength back. She wretched herself from the lady's arms. "Where is Nydia?" Melody raged at her.

The lady seemed to enjoy this furious attention. "She's fine. She's with us."

The dark lady tugged teasingly on a piece of Melody's hair. "I'm glad I seem to finally have your attention."

Melody slapped the woman's hand away, but the dark lady didn't look the least bit upset, just deeply amused. "This has been lovely, my sweet. But I have some issues that need attending to. I'll see you soon." Melody was left standing in the courtyard, alone, furious, and terrified.

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><p><strong>Uh oh, Melody's in big trouble now. Please review.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

The lady's lips were blue again today. She seemed to like inhuman, exotic colors. The dark lady told Melody her name was Mab and that was the only answer she received. Mab now followed her around everywhere and when she wasn't following personally, the rest of her invisible entourage was. Ever since Mab had discovered Melody understood their language, she now whispered stuff in Melody's ear constantly, as though she were craving conversation. Melody had mostly gone back to the _ignore them, maybe they'll go away_ tactic. But it was working about as well as it had worked previously. The problem was that Mab was very good at saying stuff that would get Melody's attention, and the more Melody reacted to it, the better Mab became at guessing what she should say to get a response of some kind.

Mab liked to talk about faraway places because Melody liked to listen to it. She tried to pretend she wasn't listening, but the emotions of wonder and awe that passed over her face from time to time were obvious to anyone. More and more frequently, a question would burst forth from her and Mab, delighted with the attention, would answer.

Mab poured knowledge into her every second she could and Melody, despite her misgivings, listened with an intensity that said she was starving for it. Mab even knew the practical stuff. She knew more about herbs than all the nuns combined.

Melody never asked how Mab knew all these things, but she suspected perhaps Mab and her invisible-people had simply eavesdropped on others for a long time. It was clear they understood and even spoke English. Occasionally, Mab would condescend to explain something in English when the terminology in her strange tongue grew too complex for Melody to fully grasp. Although the more she talked to Mab, the easier it became to understand her unique language.

Mab also tended to have about the same respect for personal boundaries as the rest of the invisible-people did. Though she didn't grope, she still tended to stand too close and occasionally touch or smell Melody's hair. She did this with others too, particularly attractive men. But it was more personal and awkward to Melody because she was actually aware of being touched.

Melody now habitually woke up with roses or lavender thrown over her, instead of clover. Because of this, she spent most of her days smelling like flowers. It was still slightly irritating, but an definite improvement over smelling like mildew and clover.

Melody's dark hair hid her face as she gazed down into her mirror, but saw nothing of interest. "Where is Nydia?"

_Nydia..Nydia, she is with us._ they chanted.

"That's not an answer."

_Ask the mistress what she does with her toys._

Melody assumed they meant Mab and began to plan how she would confront her.

Melody asked Mab directly the next chance she got.

"She is in Faerie." Mab's cryptic response.

"What is that?"

"My home." another cryptic response.

"Why not bring her back here?"

"Do you think that wise? The sisters would want to know where she has been all this time and there is no answer she could give that would appease them."

"You've destroyed her life! Why did you take her?"

"She would not have survived here long. Neither would you, except for the fact that I linger here."

The next day, Melody attempted to climb the thorny vines to the top of the abbey wall. But one of the vines snapped and she fell in a heap on the ground. She gripped her wrist where one of the vine's thorns had thinly sliced her wrist. "Let me see it." Mab had been watching her.

Melody dubiously revealed her injury to her. Mab set her blue lips against the wound and the pain and blood disappeared. As she felt the sensation of Mab's lips against her skin, the world shifted and she saw things in a dizzying array of color.

_Melody..._ her name was whispered on the wind. Before she knew what had happened, she was on her back in the clover by the ivy wall. Her novice robes were being stained green. Her black hair was spread out around her, mixed in with the flowers. Mab had pinned her to the ground, she smelled of lavender.

_I will paint you in silver. I will wrap you in cold._

In somber resplendence, Mab kissed her while her hands pulled up Melody's dress.

"What are you doing?" Melody's breathless voice pleaded for mercy.

"I need worship and there's only one way to get it."

Mab tore the shard off of her and threw it away. Now Melody was invisible too. Now no matter how hard she cried or screamed, no one would hear her, just like no one could hear any of the invisible-people.

Melody struggled fiercely against Mab, but made the mistake of looking her in the eye. Her body froze instantly, trapped in the serpent's gaze. Now that Melody was under her control, Mab took the opportunity to remove her clothes. Melody whimpered as her hands slipped up the girl's ribcage and reached her breasts. She played with her breasts for awhile until she had the girl panting. Then she pressed her blue lips against Melody's. Again came the thought, _She tastes of magic and sex_.

"I want all of your attention and passion, Melody. That is what I need from you."

Mab's fingers found their way between her legs and Melody's hips jumped of their own accord.

Melody cried out under her cunning caresses. "Make me solid, visible, and real. Only you can do this, Melody."

The girl's hands slid slowly over her white flesh. Lust equaled need equaled worship. The girl didn't need to love her, she just needed to lust for her. Lust for her in every way, lust for her power and for her flesh. Melody would worship her, Mab would see to that. Mab dropped another searing kiss onto her lips. Melody's legs wrapped around her body, urging her onward. Mab helped her reach climax as the girl shouted her name over and over. Every time the girl screamed, Mab felt stronger. She would give Melody power, flesh, and pain. She would give the girl everything she desired and in return Mab would receive everything she desired.

_I came here by day,  
>but I left here in darkness<br>and found you on the way. _

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><p><strong>hmmm...yeah..incest, but Mab is too damn hot ya know? Please REVIEW!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

Melody had learned to read and write English and Latin from the nuns while growing up in Avalon. Latin was a necessary language to know in order to read God's Word. Now she was learning to write the strange, but eloquent symbols of the faerie tongue from Mab.

Mab had given back her shard on the condition that Melody promised to no longer ignore her words nor her instruction. Melody glanced over at Mab's figure lounging lazily in the window sill. Mab was gazing out the window, watching the tide come in, as if she had all the time in the world.

Melody felt short of breath as she remembered the past few nights. Nights filled with the touch of Mab's body, as the faerie-woman pushed Melody's mind and body into the clouds and far beyond. Melody ducked her head and allowed her long hair to hide the red blush creeping across her cheeks as she stared at the parchment in front of her without really seeing it.

_Wham!_ Melody jumped in her chair when Mab slammed a book down on the table in front of her. "Stop daydreaming."

Melody peered up at her, "Why do I need to learn these letters?"

"Because you won't be able to read any of the books I give you if you don't." Mab answered testily.

"Oh." Why did Melody have a feeling that her mother would not approve of these books?

Though Melody also knew no one in Avalon would approve of her conversing with invisible, imaginary creatures from mythological legend either.

"Do I look imaginary to you?"

Melody winced. Apparently, Mab had heard that thought or had simply read her expression. She had an uncanny knack for reading faces. Melody returned her face to bland blankness and looked back up at Mab. "No."

"Good, then you can start reading your first book tomorrow."

Melody learned many things about the human world and the world of faerie. Most interestingly, she learned Avalon used to be a place of healing and worship for the Old Religion. The religion in Avalon had changed to Christianity, but the healing practices and customs had remained the same. The descendants of the old priestesses were all nuns now but every so often a child was born with the Sight, such as Nydia. But the power of Sight vanished after a few years if the person chose to ignore it instead of developing it. Which was why Mab stayed around, picking up the ones that showed the potential, so they could be cared for properly. The Sight was seen in precious few of them anymore. Most had grown so oblivious to the world around them that they didn't feel anything, even when Mab was standing right next to them, and her presence was not an easy thing to ignore if you were spiritually-sensitive.

Melody figured she must be the descendant of one of these priestesses of Avalon in ancient times. That must be where the power of her Sight had come from.

* * *

><p>The white hound's coat glistened like frost in the weak sunlight of the courtyard. It sniffed the flowers and growled at any of the nuns that got too close. But the nuns were unaware of the proximity of the faerie hound. The faerie hound approached her with a fierceness in its eye and Melody stayed perfectly still. It took a long time to smell her, then wagged its tail, and trotted past her to Mab several feet away. It stopped at her feet and Mab patted it on the head.<p>

_Three-quarters human, only one-quarter faery. Perhaps she resembles you, but what use is she?_ the hound asked Mab privately.

_That remains to be seen._ Mab replied, watching Melody from afar.

* * *

><p>It was Melody's seventeenth birthday. The months had flown past her as she studied whatever books Mab gave her. Melody was now fluent in the faerie tongue from reading so many books. It had been quite a chore keeping her books and other secrets hidden from her mother. Luckily, Mab was very good at making items vanish at the last second before discovery.<p>

Melody didn't like all this secret-keeping from her mother. But she craved the knowledge more than she did honesty with her mother. But she also knew her desires were selfish and felt guilty about it.

Mab began to give her books full of incantations. Melody was hesitant to read these books. They seemed like a transgression far surpassing any of the previous ones. But there were a few healing spells in some of the books. Those spells Melody was seriously tempted to learn. She saw the incredible pain of the patients in her care every day. Wouldn't it be a good thing to have the power to help ease their pain?

Though it really wasn't in Mab's interest to train a healer, she'd do what she'd have to do to get the girl interested in learning the magic. And if a few healing spells was all it took, so be it.

* * *

><p>Mab scowled after the fourth week of Melody's successful healing spells. The girl was wonderful at the healing spells, but Mab couldn't seem to interest her in any of the other spells. Most irritating. The brat was trying to follow in Nimue's footsteps in the most peculiar way. Nimue with a touch of Mab.<p>

That didn't please Mab at all. She wanted to erase Nimue from the girl completely. It was time to take the gloves off and stop being gentle.

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><p><strong>Hehehehehe! I am so looking forward to this. It's going to start getting really dark so brace yourselves.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

The white faerie-hound was curled up next to her, dozing in the sun, as Melody gathered herbs from the garden. The hound thumped its tail against the ground when Mab approached. "Melody, would you like to go for a little ride?"

Melody's eyes widened. "You mean leave the abbey? No! It's forbidden."

"It would only be for a little while and no one will notice you are gone. Don't you want to see the cliffs by the ocean? You asked about it before."

Melody bit her lip with uncertainty.

* * *

><p>Melody watched the two white horses from a distance. They glowed around the edges of their bodies and their hooves did not touch the ground. That frightened her even more. She didn't know how to ride a horse that kept its feet on the ground let alone a floating creature.<p>

"You will not fall." Mab answered the misgivings on her face. She tugged Melody forward and helped her into the saddle. Melody had a death-grip on the reigns and the horse's mane as Mab climbed into her saddle. They started off at an easy walk to build Melody's confidence. Melody had removed her crystal again. No one could see them as they passed over the gate in midair.

Once past the gate, Mab urged her horse into a trot and Melody's horse followed suit of its own accord. Melody just concentrated on clinging to the horse's back. She had no idea how to steer.

There was the light sound of bells that came from the horses' silver hooves as they trotted through the air.

Once Melody had relaxed a little, Mab made the horses go even faster. Melody tensed up again for a moment afraid she would fall. But she did not fall, and with the wind blowing through her hair and the scenery racing by, she felt a rising excitement. Laughter spilled out of her mouth as well as shouts of exhilaration. It was in this way Melody reached the cliffs and looked out over them at the blue ocean. The water stretched as far as she could see. White waves crashed against the cliffs with a great roaring noise. The taste of the wind saltier than ever, ripped at her clothes and hair.

Now that Mab had convinced Melody she could get away with it, they rode frequently to many different places. The magical horses could cover great distances in a very short amount of time which meant Melody could see sights from all over Britain.

* * *

><p>Melody lit the candle with an incantation. Mab had convinced her to expand her interest further than the healing spells. Slowly but surely Mab was pushing her to go further and further beyond her previous limits. <em>Where do I draw the line?<em> Melody thought to herself. _If this keeps up, there's no telling what she will have convinced me to do next._

Melody looked up at Mab and met her gaze. It didn't bother her now. She could stare at Mab for hours and she no longer felt the desire to look away. Mab was no longer holding her there with her gaze. Melody was staring at her of her own accord. Was this what they called obsession?

And the sexual compulsions were growing worse. There were times when her entire body screamed at her, demanding that she touch Mab when she happened to be nearby.

Nimue had noticed a severe change in her daughter over time. Melody walked around most times with a daydreaming expression, as if she were listening to things only she could hear. What had happened to her daughter that used to be so grounded in reality and focused on the task at hand? Melody also wandered off for long periods of time, and she looked lost in her own little world even when she was present.

"Melody?" her mother's voice pulled Melody from her thoughts.

"Yes, mother?"

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You just don't seem yourself lately. Are you sure there's nothing I can help with?"

_Help me, no. Disown me if you knew, yes._

* * *

><p>Whenever Mab touched her, Melody's vision and hearing increased. She could see and hear the invisible-people as if they were suddenly as solid as the humans.<p>

The darkness that clung to Mab, which originally had pushed Melody away, now only promised the taste of sex and pain when she was near it. Her face was buried in Mab's neck, breathing in the scent of her skin. Mab gripped Melody's leg and pulled it up and over her body so Melody was on top. Melody pressed her body against Mab's again.

The sex suddenly turned violent when Mab bit into her shoulder. Melody screamed, but no one could hear her. Teeth grazed Melody's left breast as she clutched her bleeding shoulder. Melody pressed a hand against Mab's ribs in an effort to push her away. There was a sizzling sound. Melody left an imprint of her hand burned into Mab's skin. Melody forgot to breath as she watched burn mark heal before her eyes. "You can't hurt me. But I can hurt you." a soft hiss in the darkness.

Mab ripped Melody's hand away from her shoulder injury. She licked the blood that still lingered there. "I can break you and mark you and bend you to my whims."

Mab pulled Melody's body back beneath hers. "And the only thing you'll do is beg for more."

Melody shuddered underneath her.

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><p><strong>Review?<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

_15 years ago..._

"I will restore your beauty, if you take Merlin to a place that I have created for you. You can live with him there until the end of your days. "

"No." Nimue refused all Mab's offers. She would not lure Merlin away from his battle with Mab.

She also would not sacrifice more to Merlin than she already had. Even now, Nimue was aware of the beginnings of a child in her womb. Once she began to show, everyone would know she was with child and the nuns would cast her out. She had no where else to go. But she must somehow convince to them to let her stay. For if she was cast out, nothing would protect this child from Mab and all the other pagan forces in the world. Nimue had thought about murdering the child in the womb, but that was an even greater sin than she already had committed. Instead, if the child must be born into this world, she would protect it. She wouldn't allow anyone of pagan blood to come near it. With any luck, she could destroy the pagan taint the child might be born with.

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><p><em>Present day...<em>

Merlin was present when she walked into her bedroom. How dare he show his face here! She had made a promise before God to never see him again and here he was forcing her to break that promise by showing up in her room secretly.

"Get out."

"Nimue..."

"Merlin I swore to them our relationship was over. I swore on God's word. It was the only way I could stay in Avalon with my child. And now you have made me forsworn."

"Nimue...I do not wish to make you break your oath. I miss you dearly, but that is not the reason I came. I think Mab has returned somehow."

Nimue whipped around to face him at those words, terror filling her eyes. "What? But you destroyed her yourself! Everyone said she turned to smoke."

"I know. And I haven't seen her since. But, its just a feeling, a foreboding...something is going to happen." Merlin looked at her with great worry.

"How do you know this? How can you be certain your feelings aren't wrong?"

Merlin started at her for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "I have been seeing certain things lately."

"What sort of things?"

"Magical beings are moving amongst the people again. They are no more than shadows, ghosts, but they are still present."

Merlin moved to stare out of the window.

"I feel as those these shadows are growing stronger every day now. Something is giving them strength, making them more solid. Who do you think would have the power to do something like that? My first guess would be Mab."

"Can't you get rid of them before they grow stronger?" Nimue demanded of him.

"I have no idea how to do that."

"So how am I to protect Melody?"

"Melody...so that's the name of our child?"

Nimue scowled at him. "Yes, now how are _we_ going to protect her?"

Merlin smiled at finally being included as one of his child's guardians.

"I'm not sure yet. Could I see her?"

"No. She doesn't know anything about you and I intend to keep it that way. The first way to protect her is to make sure she never knows anything about the Old Ways and that includes you Merlin."

Merlin sighed. "Very well. I will watch from afar as best I can."

Merlin turned to leave. "Nimue..you must realize, the only reason I abided by Avalon's decision is because I too thought distancing myself from the girl would protect her from Mab's influence. I never wanted her to come to harm, so I gave her up to you completely."

"I'll do whatever it takes to protect her." Nimue promised.

"Merlin.." Nimue called to him, and Merlin paused at the door. "I know you won't be able to resist taking a peek at her. Just to warn you..."

"...she looks like your dear mother." Nimue finished sarcastically.

Melody spun in circles in the garden. The moonlight shone through the abbey's stone arches above. There was music only she could hear and she spun faster until she was so dizzy she toppled over onto the soft grass.

Merlin watched his daughter from the shadows. Nimue was right. Melody looked too much like Mab for comfort. It was disorienting. Was that Mab spinning breathlessly under the moon or someone else?

Merlin couldn't imagine what Mab would have thought about this. Even though Merlin had destroyed her, Merlin had helped give birth to a younger look-alike. How ironic.

The only thing that reminded Merlin that this was indeed his daughter and not Mab was Melody's white novice robe. Mab would never wear such a thing, especially nothing white in colour. Mab had always favoured dark colors. It was such a strange vision, Mab in Nimue's clothing.

The girl seemed safe for now. The only thing that worried Merlin was the dark energy that seemed to cling to the girl for no apparent reason. He had met humans before that seemed to have an unconscious knack for picking up spiritual-clutter, whenever they went they attracted it like a magnet. But the amount of darkness that clung to Melody really wasn't the amount of supernatural-muck that Merlin would expect one could pick up in Avalon alone. Avalon was one of the spiritually-cleanest places in Britain he had every seen. So how was Melody picking up all that energy unknowingly?

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><p><strong>This chapter was the history lesson so we know where we are today. Review please :)<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

Merlin had been here recently to spy on Melody. Mab herself had been away at the time, but her people had hidden themselves the moment Merlin arrived in Avalon. Merlin might be aware of the shadows moving through the rest of Britain, but there was no good reason for them to announce their presence to him here in Avalon.

Mab hadn't planned on Nimue allowing Merlin back into the equation. She had been certain the woman would turn her former-lover away the moment he showed up. But rumor of Mab's return had frightened Nimue into cooperating with him again. Now Merlin would be snooping around in Avalon. It was about to get very difficult to hide her influence over Melody. Hiding from humans was easy, they couldn't see her anyway. Hiding from anyone with the Sight was much more difficult, especially a fully-trained wizard. She wished she could simply take Melody with her, make her disappear. But doing so now would announce her return like nothing else could. No, something else would have to be done and soon.

* * *

><p><p>

"Who are you?" Melody asked for the thousandth time since she'd met her.

"I am the Queen of Air and Darkness." Mab finally gave an answer.

Mab covered Melody's mouth with her own. Mab intended to fill her with darkness. Melody choked on it, a bittersweet mist that moved from Mab's mouth to her own. Mab pulled away and Melody felt like she had swallowed a rock. She also felt like she might be sick. The darkness settled heavily in the bottom of her stomach. "If you can bear to hold it inside of you for three days, then will become a part of you and you'll no longer feel it sitting there."

"So I have to suffer through a stomach-ache for three days?" Melody was already clutching her stomach.

"Don't eat anything." was Mab's dry suggestion.

But it didn't stop there. Mab insisted on her swallowing darkness several times over the long months of winter. She suffered with a stomach-ache more often than not. There was a food shortage in Avalon that winter, so in some ways, Melody supposed it was a good thing she didn't eat often.

The reason why she put up with the stomach-aches was because of the amazing feeling afterwards. Once the darkness finally dissolved, there was an adrenaline rush. Her heart sped, her senses increased, and the world around her seemed to pulse with unknown colors. This euphoria lasted quite awhile and she typically asked for sex during this time to heighten the experience.

* * *

><p><p>

Everything was going well. The child was unaware of what she was truly learning because Mab had conveniently never told her. Melody read all the books Mab brought her and she had mastered all the incantations she needed to know. Now she was learning the hand movements that would replace most of those spells.

Mab fed Melody parts of her own power in order to give the girl the power she would need, she was far too human otherwise. In return, Mab fed off the girl's hopes, desires, adoration, and lust.

By the time Mab was truly ready to return, she would also have a fully-trained sorceress as her right hand. Then she would destroy her enemies and Melody and herself would bask in the power that followed.

There was only one small problem: how to sever the girl's attachment to her mother and Avalon.

* * *

><p><p>

All Merlin could see was Melody's aura becoming darker and darker over time. Something was wrong. This kind of thing didn't happen on its own. Did Mab have to the power to reach out beyond the grave and affect someone like this? Even within the very walls of Avalon?

But how could he protect Melody without revealing his existence to her? If he were allowed to walk right up to her, he could cast a protection circle around her and protect her from whatever was reaching out to influence her. He didn't know how to explain Melody's changing aura to Nimue, she couldn't see what he could see. There was no way Merlin could convince Nimue to allow him to reveal himself to his daughter.

A week later, the decision was taken out of his hands, for he discovered something beyond his worst nightmares had come true.

Mab's lips were locked on Melody's, her tongue moving slowly through the girls' mouth. This was the last one. Her form was completely solid and visible now. Mab pulled back with triumph. Melody wavered on her feet for a second like a drunk person, but then recovered in time to see a man gaping at them in horror from the shadows. After a few moments he seemed to recover enough to come straight for them and he specifically aimed for Melody.

Melody screamed when he reached for her and he paused at the sound. Then the girl fled and hid behind Mab. The fact that she had screamed at him and then ran to Mab, bewildered him.

"Now don't look so confused Merlin. This is the women's section of Avalon after all. Men aren't allowed here. You've frightened the girl." Mab spoke with amusement, Melody still hiding behind her.

"Frightened her? I find _you _here molesting her. And she's frightened of me?" Merlin ranted.

Mab couldn't help but burst out laughing at the hysterics.

Melody peered around her body. "Who is that man?"

"My pet-wizard, Merlin. Isn't he delicious?" Mab purred. "Good enough to eat...or kill."

Mab's eyes gleamed malevolently.

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><p><p>

**I don't know if Melody is going to be pleased with Mab's plans once she finds out. ;) Please Review.**


	11. Chapter 11

Mab and Merlin were bickering in the fae-tongue, Nimue had seen this before. What horrified her was that her daughter Melody was involved in the argument too. And she was speaking their language as if she had been born knowing it.

"Melody, get away from her!" Nimue screeched. Melody turned to look at her, fear written on her face. She ran to her mother. Nimue released a sigh of relief when she had her daughter in her arms. Mab eyed them with a sour look. Merlin was relieved Melody was no longer near Mab.

Mab shook back her dark hair haughtily. "I take my leave then."

She vanished. Nimue and Merlin looked at each other, sharing their fear and doubt.

* * *

><p>"Melody! How long have you been talking to her?" Nimue demanded of her daughter.<p>

"Two years."

_Slap!_ Nimue smacked her daughter across the face. "How could you! You have betrayed me! You have betrayed God! All these years Avalon has raised you and loved you and you turned your back on it!"

Melody said nothing, but tears rolled down her face silently. "I know."

"Then how could you do such a thing? Why?" Nimue begged her.

"I didn't want to...at first, but she..she's so..." Melody sputtered.

"Evil? Nasty?" Nimue offered. "Did she threaten you?"

"She's so _amazing_." Melody whispered.

Nimue gaped at her.

"I mean..." Melody searched for the right words, trying to prove she wasn't crazy. "she isn't exactly nice all the time, she can be quite terrifying, but she's so interesting and exciting."

Nimue couldn't believe what she was hearing. She slapped her daughter again to silence her.

"You will never speak of her again. You will never go near her again. Promise me this."

Melody hung her head. "Yes mother."

"They will cast us both out of Avalon if anyone ever finds out you were messing around with the Old Religion and I didn't come forward with my knowledge of your transgressions."

* * *

><p>Melody cried in her sleep often, which was why she always waited for her mother to fall asleep first. She didn't want Nimue to hear her. She didn't want her mother to know she was in mourning over something she should never have had in the first place. The invisible-people had completely disappeared from Avalon, but Melody lived in fear every day. She feared the moment when Mab would return. If she did return, Melody was afraid she would ask Mab to make her disappear like Nydia. Melody hid her feelings, Nimue kept her daughter's secrets, but the wretched desire still lay inside Melody's heart and she didn't know how to get rid of it.<p>

However, a few things had changed. Her mother came clean about her entire history. She wanted Melody to know the truth about how evil Mab was. Nimue revealed her burn scars were caused by Mab and she revealed to Melody that Merlin was her father and that he had sacrificed his entire life to the task of defeating Queen Mab of the Old Ways. Nimue still remained silent about Merlin's own connection to the Old Ways. She didn't want her daughter to know she was connected to the Old Religion in any way. Her daughter was Christian, and Nimue would keep it that way.

Melody climbed over the ivy wall at midnight and dropped to the ground on the other side. The hill was coated in soft heather which broke her fall. She would find a way back into the abbey in the morning. But she had to get out. She had roamed too far and too often with Mab to remain cooped up any more. Mab was gone, but that didn't mean she couldn't go for a little stroll by herself in the moonlight. Melody had decided it was more productive than spending another night crying in her sleep.

Melody slipped through the shadows of the wall and trees until she was far enough from the abbey that no gate-keeper would spot her. She explored a patch of forest nearby until she heard the sound of someone approaching.

Melody watched the man from afar. Merlin, her father, was marching through the forest in the dead of night, how peculiar. He was also talking to the fae-things in the forest. He was bickering with them about some issue.

_Hey you! Watch where you're stepping!_

Melody jumped in surprise, looking around wildly for the speaker.

_Oy! Are you deaf, girl? Stop walking on our leaves!_

Melody gaped at the trees above her. "Are trees talking to me?"

_It's about time you listened. You're ruining our leaf collage. Do you know how hard it is to get the leaves to fall just right to create them?_ another tree complained to her. _And now you're ruining our art by walking all over it!_

Melody looked down at the leaves beneath her feet. She couldn't detect any discernible pattern. But she carefully moved off of the leaves anyway.

"They can be quite touchy about that."

Melody looked up to find Merlin watching her with a smile.

"I..." words failed her immediately.

Merlin walked over to a log and sat down. "Come sit with me awhile." he patted the space next to him.

Melody cautiously approached and sat on the log too.

"So...do you often wander around at night?" he asked her.

Melody blushed, "Uh no, of course not. It isn't allowed."

Then Melody sighed, "I just needed to get out of there for awhile."

"I understand."

_No, no you don't understand. You couldn't possibly understand._ _You don't even know me._

"Did Nimue tell you everything?"

"Yes."

"I see."

They sat in silence for a minute.  
>"You are very beautiful, Melody. I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there to see you grow up into such a beautiful woman." he apologized to her.<p>

Melody didn't know what to say to that, but she did think of something else.

"Why didn't my mother leave Avalon? They wanted to cast her out anyway when she committed fornication with you. You could have married her and set up a home somewhere."

"Ah, well at that time, Melody, there was too much chaos. I had a duty to Britain and I could not insure the safety of a wife and child."

_What about a duty to me and my mother?_

"Why not?"

"My connection with the Old Religion would have put Nimue and you, especially you, in constant danger." Merlin explained gently. "It was safest for me to distance myself while the two of you remained in Avalon, a Christian stronghold."

"What connection do you have to the Old Religion?" Melody looked at him for the first time since she sat down.

Merlin sighed and tenderly brushed her hair back from her face. "Queen Mab is my mother. Or at least one of my mothers. I have two, you see."

Melody stopped breathing as she stared at him. For the first time, she felt truly defiled.

And the best part was yet to come as the one who had done the defiling appeared in the forest with them.

* * *

><p><strong>Oooooo yummy! Give Melody a hug, she needs it. Review!<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

Melody was beyond horrified as she realized she had been sleeping with her father's mother. "Did you know?" Melody shrieked at her.

"I knew."

Melody gaped at her, unable to comprehend why Mab would want to commit incest with her.

"I did what I had to do." Mab defended herself.

Merlin didn't really want to know _what Mab had had to do_ to his daughter. He put himself in front of Melody determined to protect her.

Mab smiled dangerously at him and that was his only warning. His body flew through the air. His back and head smacking into a tree was what stopped his sudden flight. "She is mine." Mab grabbed Melody and ripped the crystal pendant off of her. Melody became instantly invisible.

"I have taken her reflection. Without me, she will always be invisible like the rest of us. " Mab told a dazed Merlin. "I am the only one who has managed to regain visible form, all thanks to dear Melody's help."

"You've been seducing her away from home with tall tales of high adventure." Merlin accused Mab.

Mab smiled. "She loves adventure. When you're ready for the next one, darling, come see me." Mab placed a quick kiss on a shell-shocked Melody's cheek and disappeared.

Merlin could still see her, but nobody else could. She could not return to Avalon like this. She broke down and cried.

* * *

><p>Melody carried the bucket of water into the hut. Merlin was peeling the potatoes for the stew. Melody sat the bucket down next to him. Living here wasn't much different than Avalon, she still had the same chores to do. She liked the normalcy of that. It was calming. Merlin's hut was situated in the middle of a forest. He lived like a reclusive hermit. Which was a good thing in this case, no one was around to see her invisible self carrying a bucket. Merlin could see her, but any other onlooker would have thought the bucket was floating in midair. If anyone did happen on them, Merlin was known as a wizard as well, so a floating bucket wouldn't be too odd.<p>

Melody had hidden the white novice robe. She didn't want to wear it outside of Avalon. Now she was dressed as a simple peasant, same as Merlin.

Merlin looked at her. "You know I can always tell its you and not Mab, Melody."

"Why?"

"Because she insists on covering herself with diamonds, while you are just...you."

Melody made a face. "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult to my wardrobe."

Melody slept soundly, but her dreams were never comforting. _I would cover you in diamonds._

A cool hand wrapped itself around her neck. _I would make you a queen if only you would not deny me._

She shuddered in her sleep. _You have swallowed my darkness. Do not think you can escape it forever._

Merlin and Melody talked a lot. Melody filled him in on everything he had missed while she was growing up and he told her everything that had been happening in the country since her birth. After the death of Queen Mab, the wars had finally ended and the land had settled down under a Christian monarchy. The peace wasn't perfect, but it better than Britain had experienced in the last several hundred years. "Everything has been going so well, Melody. But somehow Queen Mab has managed to use you to return. She will stir up trouble and it will be a return to the wars of the past."

"How was I the key to her return?"

"I don't know Melody, but I need to know everything. What were you doing with her? You must tell me. Any small detail might be important to stopping her once again."

So Melody told him everything. The appearance of the mirror, the crystal, the fae-people, the books, the magic, but she left out the sexual encounters and the swallowing darkness parts. She was still embarrassed by all of that.

"Hmm...it looks like she was training you to be hand-wizard."

"A what?"

"From what you just told me, you're already a wizard-by-incantation. And then she started teaching you hand-wizard spells."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm a hand-wizard. She trained me too."

Melody sat down. "I sense that you have a long story to tell me."

Merlin smiled ruefully, "I do."

After he finished his story, Melody had much to ponder along with everything her mother had told her before.

"One more thing Melody before I leave you to your thoughts."

She met his gaze.

"I believe the reflection Mab stole from you is locked inside that mirror you had. If we find that mirror, we can make you visible again."

"The last place I saw the mirror was in Avalon."

* * *

><p>Nimue wept when she realized her daughter would not be returning. Merlin had stolen her daughter away for unknown reasons. He had sent a note only saying Melody was safe with him. Nimue's vision was blurred by her tears before she realized a woman with dark hair was standing beside her. "Melody!" Nimue stood up and flung herself on her daughter.<p>

"Oh no, not Melody. But I can give you Melody."

Nimue released the woman and backed away into the wall. "Mab." she whispered with dread.

"Come with me Nimue and you can see your daughter again." Mab held out her hand.

* * *

><p><strong>Please Review!<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

Mab would have them all in her grasp. Even if she had to seduce them one Christian at a time. After all, she had already succeeded with one already. She patted the sleeping Nimue's hair. She would lead them all astray and back to her where they belonged. But Melody was the prize and Nimue the bait.

Nydia entered the room with a tray of food for Nimue. "She's still asleep?"

"She will wake soon. Leave the food here for her."

"Then what, milady?"

"Just make sure she doesn't leave this place."

* * *

><p>Three weeks later, Merlin and Melody sneaked into Avalon. Melody rushed to her hiding-hole in the ivy wall. And breathed a sigh of relief when she found her mirror still hidden inside. She stared at the mirror's surface. She still didn't have a reflection. How was this supposed to work?<p>

Merlin joined her, examined the mirror from every angle, and then sighed. "I'm not sure if this is really where she hid your reflection or not. It seems like an ordinary mirror"

"But its not ordinary. I used to see visions in it all the time."

"Really?" Merlin asked, intrigued.

"Yes!"

"Well then I think I might know what trick Mab used on you. Come here."

Merlin passed her the mirror and then placed on hand on the back of her neck.

"I need you to look into the mirror and relax."

She did as he asked and he began to trace a finger around the edge of the mirror counter-clockwise over and over again. Melody saw visions begin to flash too quickly to discern across the mirror's surface. The faster he moved his finger along its edge, the faster the visions spun. She began to feel dizzy and only his steadying hand on the back of her neck kept her on her feet. Finally, he stopped and she was staring down at a vision of her own reflection. "So how do we get it out of the mirror?"

"Drop it."

Melody dropped the mirror and it shattered against the ground. But her reflection did not leave it, instead the mirror repair itself. "Oh dear, that is a problem." Merlin muttered.

"What?"

"She's enchanted it to be unbreakable. Which means I can't get your reflection out of the mirror."

"That's just perfect." Melody spoke, voice laced with sarcasm.

Merlin was against the idea, but Melody begged him to let her go check on her mother. "Just a quick peek. She'll be asleep at this hour."

Melody made her way through the familiar halls of Avalon. A wave of homesickness crashed in on her, she would have to leave Avalon behind again in only a few minutes. She silently opened the door to her mother's room and slipped inside. The chamber was empty. Cold and still, she could tell no one had slept in here for some time. She screamed. No one but Merlin would hear her anyway.

* * *

><p>Merlin and Melody were ready to beat down the front door, but the problem was that neither of them knew where Mab had set up house. "Merlin you must know something about her. If this land of magic you told me about supposedly no longer exists then she must be somewhere in the human world. Where would she live in this world?"<p>

Merlin pondered this. "The only place I can think to try is Tintagel. She lived there for a very brief span of her life."

* * *

><p>Nydia brought food and water to her every day, three times a day. She took care of every other daily need of Nimue's. Nimue had yet to leave the room. She had made a deal with the devil and she was afraid of what lurked outside the walls of the bedroom. "Is there any word of Melody? When will I see her?" Nimue asked of Nydia.<p>

"The mistress says Melody is traveling here as we speak. She should arrive very soon."

That gave Nimue the courage to leave the room. She wanted to be the first to see Melody.

According to Nydia, there were many others here at Tintagel and the surrounding lands. Mab was using it as a focal point to regroup what was left of her people as well as add to her collection.

"And what does the Christian king think of this?" Nimue had asked Nydia.

"Mab says he's weak and his politicians are corrupt. They will fall easily from within." Nydia had told her.

Nimue didn't like the news, but she certainly couldn't go back to any Christian holy place after the deal she had made. She had sinned against her own god, but that didn't mean she would take Mab as her god either.

Nimue waited in the great hall, staring out of the window at the road. Then Mab entered the room. Everyone in the room, including Nydia, went to one knee. Nimue gritted her teeth, but followed suit.

"As much as I love the posture of forced submission. Don't bother, I know you don't mean it."

Nimue stood back up and glared at her.

"Come, Melody is almost here and I know she will want to see you."

* * *

><p>As soon as Melody neared Tintagel, the mirror shattered and her visibility returned. Courtesy of Mab she supposed.<p>

"Mab must think she's already won." Merlin whispered behind her on the horse, "She always was extremely overconfident."

Melody and Merlin were shown into a private garden courtyard when they arrived at Tintagel.

Mab and Nimue were present. "Mother!" Melody was in Nimue's arms in seconds.

Mab jerked her head and Nimue took that as the signal to take Melody inside.

Now Mab and Merlin were alone. "What's going on?" Merlin questioned her. "Why is Nimue with you?"

"I've decided to keep both of them." Mab replied, watching him with a serpent's stillness. "You and I need to have a private chat."

Mab jerked her head and he flew into the stone wall. "Private chat" apparently meant "beat the crap out of him."

"Mab, what do you intend to do?" he growled up at her.

"Actually I was planning to let Melody carve out your heart while I make love to your broken, submissive body. What do you think of that?"

She leaned to down to stroke his chest. "Would you prefer to die while embraced by euphoria or pain, my son?"

He spat in her face.

"Pain it is then." She gripped his collar and with impressive strength, dragged him away.

* * *

><p><strong>*evil cackle* Please Review.<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

"Melody would never harm me." Merlin asserted.

Mab laughed at him. "You never thought Nimue would harm you either. But she did. She decided she didn't want to share her daughter with you. For fifteen years, you never saw your child's face nor even knew her name."

"And now Nimue has sided with me to protect what she loves most. I own her."

Merlin gave an inarticulate yell of rage, but could not move. She had him pinned to the ground with her magic.

"And I have Melody now." Mab continued to needle him. "She is mine. She would carve out your heart if I wished it. It was my name she screamed so beautifully for two years while under my care."

Mab bent down to breathe in his face. "And it is my name _you _will scream before the end.

She grabbed his face. "I screamed your name over and over and yet you would not look at me. You left me to die."

* * *

><p>Mab came back inside covered in blood. She had obviously indulged herself. Nydia rushed to clean her off.<p>

"He still lives...barely." Mab commented.

Mab brushed off Nydia's attempts to clean her up. "Never mind that. Bring me my child of darkness."

Their bodies glinted under the moonlight in the courtyard of Tintagel. Her mouth ghosted over Mab's shining white flesh until she reached her mouth. Locking lips, she swallowed air and darkness. Her body rocked with spasms at the taste. "You will be queen." Mab's husky whisper in her ear was barely audible. "They will look to you for guidance."

"And what would you have in return, milady?" Melody asked her.

"Unceasing worship."

"That can be arranged." Melody's fingers entered her. Mab inhaled deeply as Melody stroked her rhythmically.

Nearby, Merlin, barely conscious, watched Mab defile his daughter.

"I saved him for you." Mab told her as she wrapped Melody's fingers around the hilt of a dagger.

Mab moved to defile his body. "I promised him you would be the one to carve out his heart."

Melody brought the tip of the dagger to his chest, but stopped.

"You realize if you don't kill him, I will continue to punish him."

There was a slight pause.

"I know."

* * *

><p>Melody's eyes glowed green and her aura pulsed with the darkness Mab had intoxicated her with. But she didn't stab Merlin. Instead, she pulled Mab off of him and back onto her own body. "Leave him be for now. He won't be much entertainment when he cannot move." she purred into Mab's skin.<p>

Mab growled in the back of her throat and kissed her. She stopped suddenly when Melody slid the dagger between her ribs. There was pause as she stared at Melody disbelieving, then she let loose a scream. Melody felt a tug and Mab whisked both of them away into a dark place.

She threw Melody to the floor and walked off clutching her side, "You stupid girl!" she shrieked.

Mab wasn't upset by the fact that Melody literally stabbed her, after all mortal weapons could not truly harm her. But the stabbing represented Melody's lack of trust, lack of faith, that's what had seriously wounded Mab. Melody was the strongest piece at the moment tying her to this existence.

Melody was lying on the floor watching dark things creeping about in the corners of the room. _Where __had Mab brought her? _

Melody cringed when one of the shadow things reached out with a menacing tentacle, as though starving for her. Mab kicked it away from the girl, but continued to pace the room in a temper.

"My world still exists, but it is a faery world of darkness. Without life and light, we are monsters in the shadows. Abandoned to darkness, trapped in darkness."

Mab pulled Melody roughly up from the floor so she could hiss in the girl's face.

" Now I dance in darkness all alone."

* * *

><p><strong>How's that for dark and brutal? Please Review.<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

Mab dumped Melody back on the floor and stood over her uncertainly, not sure what to do next.

"Why did you stab me?"

There was both curiosity and irritation in her voice.

"You're heartless!" Melody cried. "You were torturing your own son!"

The Queen let out a hiss of impatience.

"He betrayed me!" Mab snarled at her and paced the room. "The fact that he still _breathes _is a testament to my endless mercy."

Melody gathered herself and rose from the floor. Mab stopped her pacing and turned toward her.

"How dare you try to kill me." Mab hissed.

Melody said nothing, but nervously eyed the evil shadows in the corners of the room.

She now wondered if Mab was going to kill her, but then Mab smiled sweetly at her and Melody was filled with spine-tingling dread.

* * *

><p>Melody was tied up in Mab's bed. Merlin was tied up on the floor, currently unconscious. Mab had brought him here too.<p>

"Why do all my children insist on giving me more trouble than they're worth?" Mab entered the room.

She stood at the edge of the bed, gazing down at the bound woman. "Now what am I going to do with you?" she pondered aloud.

Melody flinched when Mab brushed fingers through her hair. She had been expecting pain, not a gentle touch. "You and I were supposed to rule together. I asked for so little. I was going to give you everything."

"What you mean is that you would rule and I would merely be the flesh you used to accomplish it."

Melody shot back at her.

"Is that so bad? I thought that was what you wanted."

Mab continued to gaze at her and then was struck by an idea. Her eyes traveled down Melody's naked body and Melody shivered.

Mab pulled her body up and kissed her. Her spirit turned to smoke and passed out of her current body and into Melody's. When the transfer was complete, Mab's empty shell fell onto the bed while Melody's body stood up and gazed down at the sleeping Merlin with a look of vicious pleasure.

Melody gasped and moaned, caught up in Mab's lust. Her was body was currently under Mab's control, but she could feel everything that Mab was doing as if it were happening to herself.

Mab reached her goal and Merlin released inside her.

Mab didn't return to her own body right away. She preferred to bask in the sexual arousal rushing through Melody's.

* * *

><p>When Melody woke up, she discovered she was spooned around Mab's body and Merlin's body was spooned against her back. The three of them fit together like a jigsaw puzzle with Melody in the middle.<p>

Merlin was in no fit state to move, he was unconscious again due to his injuries. Melody tried to flee the bed, but Mab was wide awake and grabbed Melody, pulling her back down.

She used her serpent's gaze to freeze Melody in place and then pressed her breasts, her entire body against Melody's so Melody could feel her in all of the most intimate places. She also deliberately crushed Melody's body into Merlin's behind her so she feel him too. Melody whimpered, "What have you done?"

Mab reached between her legs and began to stroke her. "If you continue to defy me Melody, I shall continue to play these fun games with your body as well as Merlin's."

* * *

><p><em>Weeks later...<em>

Merlin was awake but exhausted. Mab tended to keep him tied up a lot so he could watch the show. Mab always told him all of her plans so she could gloat that she was winning. She also frequently took out her violent urges on him. The thing she enjoyed most though, was forcing him to watch her defile Melody. If he refused to watch, she made him join in.

Mab drew her tongue around Melody's left breast. Melody's hands strained at the robes that bound them above her head. The darkness that swirled around inside Melody's body forced her to part her legs when Mab looked at her expectantly. "She always opens herself to me Merlin. She knows its futile to resist." she taunted him.

Mab stuck her tongue inside Melody and touched her sensitive spot. Melody cried out and spread her legs further. Mab continued to take advantage of that sensitive spot until Melody hit climax. Mab made her feel every bit of it. She wouldn't let Melody go without bringing her to climax, reminding the girl who she belonged to. And for Melody...there was no escape.

* * *

><p><strong>So Dark!Mab wins the day and gets everything she ever wanted and no one can stop her. O_0 evil wins this time... Don't worry, its not over yet.<br>**


	16. Chapter 16

Nimue washed the blood off her hands in a small bowl Nydia had brought her. One of the women at Tintagel had given birth and Nimue had decided to help. There weren't many qualified healers nor midwives present.

Merlin, Melody, and Mab had disappeared for weeks. Only her pride kept her from shrieking Mab's name to demand her daughter's return.

Melody would surely come back on her own. She had been delighted to see her mother. There was no reason to think she would stay away indefinitely. And until Nimue became desperate enough to cry out to Mab, Nimue would stubbornly wait for Melody to come back herself. _If I mean anything to her, she will come to me._

* * *

><p>Melody was hiding in the shadows. Wrapped in black silk and her long dark hair made her practically invisible.<p>

Merlin was sitting in a chair in a barren room. For eyes that could see it, a glowing silver chain was wrapped around his wrists. It did not prevent movement but it prevented him from going anywhere or using magic.

Melody wasn't supposed to be here. If Mab caught them, she would drag both of them into bed with her to perform unspeakable acts again as punishment.

Both of her parents safety was assured as long as she continued to be obedient to Mab's wishes. The underground land was like a palace, but it was so gloomy it felt like a dungeon. Mab gave her whatever she wanted except her freedom...but only if she behaved.

"You should leave." Merlin said without looking up at her.

"I can become stronger than her. I'm almost a Thought-wizard. Then I can destroy her." crazy ideas spurted from Melody's lips.

A dry laugh came from Merlin "That is impossible. You're foolish to think otherwise."

"But I can! She can't hold me forever!" Melody argued.

"No...no matter how strong you become Melody, you will never be her equal. She would never allow such a thing." Merlin spoke with finality. "You must leave me."

Melody stayed root to the spot.

"She made me do unspeakable things in my youth, Melody." Merlin whispered to her. "They don't call her the Queen of Darkness for nothing...and being dead did not improve her. If she catches you here it will only get worse."

"Then what can we do?" Melody asked hopelessly.

I have been pondering that the entire time of my imprisonment". Merlin considered her for a moment. "She lives on lust, pain, and fear now. Take that away from her and she can't function."

"How am I supposed to keep such things from her?"

"By giving her something else to chew on."

* * *

><p>Melody waited silently for her mistress to acknowledge her presence. She stared dully at her surroundings, the room was choked in shadows and mist. Her right hand clutched her left wrist, the posture of submission.<p>

Mab suddenly tossed her a grey stone and Melody caught it out of reflex. It scalded her fingers as soon as she came into contact with it and she dropped it with a hiss of pain.

"I know you went to see Merlin today." It was a statement not a question. "If the two of you think to plot against me, you're sadly mistaken."

Melody glared at her, sucking on her burnt fingers.

Mab smiled suddenly. "Melody, Melody..." and took Melody's fingers in her own, licking them they healed instantly. This was how it usually happened. Mab was capricious and unpredictable. She went from tiger to kitten to tiger again without warning. Melody never knew whether she was going to receive a kiss or a scar. It put her a little more than on edge when she was around the crazy witch.

"Crazy huh..." Mab leaned forward as she eavesdropped on her thoughts and pressed her lips against Melody's cheek. She breathed in deeply. "You smell of fear and desire."

She forced Melody's mouth open with her own and Melody was caught in an open-mouthed kiss.

"_She lives on lust, pain, and fear now." _

"_How am I supposed to keep such things from her?"_

"_By giving her something else to chew on."_

By giving her what? What else was there besides those three things that Mab loved to devour?

An idea finally came to her as Mab pulled her body closer.

Melody gripped her hard around the middle and wouldn't let go. For a moment, Mab was surprised the girl had suddenly decided to play along.

Melody ignored the reality around her and instead focused on her thoughts.

She thought about all the emotions she had for her mother, all the happy times she had been blessed with in Avalon, and all the love she felt for the people she had known in her short life.

Mab flinched as she was swathed in the positive feelings flowing from Melody. It was suffocating.

Mab tried to pull away, but found she didn't have the strength. Melody reached up and, with a strength Mab didn't know the girl possessed, pulled Mab's mouth against hers, forced her to swallow Melody's shining brightness. There was a soft cry of pain as Mab knocked Melody away from her. Melody watched as the dark goddess writhed on the floor but made no further sounds of pain.  
>Then the shadows in the room suddenly reached for both of them and the last thing Melody saw was Mab gazing at her, almost comatose, with something like panic in her eyes.<p>

* * *

><p>Melody awoke in the Queen's arms. Mab was softly stroking her hair and looking down at her with a disturbing expression. The expression was disturbing because it held a kindness Melody had never seen on her face before.<p>

Melody tried to get away, but Mab's arms tightened around her and her smile widened into something that was almost a grin.

Mab never grinned.

Melody was still gazing at her in shock, when Mab finally said something, "Look what you've done."

Mab released her and gestured around the room. Melody looked around and saw, instead of shadows, many many crystals pulsing with every color of the rainbow.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok so I turned Dark!Mab back into Good!Mab so all of you don't have to worry about her conquering the world the scary way. teehee... :) <strong>


	17. Chapter 17

Her demeanor was a bit different, but she was still as lustful as ever. In addition, instead of constant black, there were purples and blues in her wardrobe choices, even light purple.

A few days later Melody asked for Merlin's release, sensing this new Mab wouldn't strike her immediately for making such a request.

The Queen thought for a moment, then said, "If I do that, you'll leave me."

Melody chose her next words carefully, "If I promise to stay, will you release him?"

Mab thought that one over for a moment, head tilted slightly as she looked at Melody. Finally, she released a sigh, "We have a deal."

* * *

><p>"Merlin you're free to go." Mab snapped the silver chain magically. "But be warned, if you use your freedom to move against me, you'll also be hurting Melody, for she has promised to stay with me."<p>

Merlin gaped at the news. "What?"

"That's how it is. Now get out."

* * *

><p>Melody lit the door on fire with a thought. Mab put it out in the next thought. Melody lit the throne on fire and, with a noise of irritation, Mab put the fire out. Melody was about to set a wardrobe alight with her next thought, but Mab's nails digging into the skin of her neck broke her concentration.<p>

"If you set one more thing on fire, I swear I'm going to set you on fire." Mab threatened and squeezed her neck slightly in warning.

From the look of defiance in her eyes, Melody clearly didn't see that as a deterrent, so Mab slammed her back against the bookshelves, fingers still clenched around the girl's neck. "Do not test my patience."

"You promised you would behave." Mab reminded her.

"No. I promised I would stay. I promised nothing more than that." Melody smiled triumphantly.

"Yet while you remain here, that puts you under my power, whether you like it or not. I am Queen here."

"Not for long." Melody dared to challenge her.

Mab smirked with amusement, "Arrogant, foolish child, you think you could equal even one tenth of my strength?"

Melody struck her across the face. The slap echoed deafeningly through the room. Mab stood in shock for a moment, face turned to the side, a red hand imprint on one side of her face. Then raged darkened her features as the hand print disappeared.

"You do have a death wish, girl."

"There's nothing you can threaten me with anymore except my own life and I am too valuable to you at the moment." Melody's tone was awash with confidence. "It's just the two of us here now. No one's throat you can hold a knife to besides mine."

Mab treated her to another withering look.  
>Suddenly Melody couldn't breathe. Her lungs felt like they were being crushed flat as she fell to the floor coughing. She looked up into Mab's glowing, furious eyes. Queen of <em>Air<em> and Darkness. Mab had removed all the air from the room, which made it impossible for mortals to breathe.

Mab silently watched Melody writhe on the floor, clawing at her throat until it was red, as though she thought that would put an end to her asphyxiation. Slowly, Melody's frantic struggles ceased as her vision faded to black.

* * *

><p>Nimue grudgingly tended to the wizard's wounds. "How could you leave Melody there with her?" Nimue accused him and tightened one of the bandages more than necessary.<p>

Merlin winced and apologized, "I didn't have a choice. Mab is too powerful, especially in her own realm. Besides, Melody promised her and you can't break those kinds of promises."

Nimue sat down next to her former-lover, cupping her face in her hands in worry and exhaustion.

Merlin tentatively patted her arm. "Don't worry. Mab needs her too much to harm her."

Nimue looked up at him with tears and anger in her eyes. "I'm not worried about her dying. I know Mab is unlikely to kill her, but she will twist my daughter to her ways until I no longer recognize her."

Merlin looked away guiltily, "But you are the one that chose to tie yourself to Mab."

"Yes! Because I needed to do whatever I could to get close to her. I was sure there would come a time when I could escape with Melody and return to Avalon. And if I couldn't go, then I would die to make sure Melody returned safely."

Nimue move away from him again. "She is my daughter! Not yours! Not your witch mother's! Mine!

I brought her into this world and by god, if the only way to protect her from evil is to take her out of the world, I'll do that too."

Outside Nimue's bedroom door, Nydia listened intently to all that was said.

* * *

><p><strong>Please Review!<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

Melody awoke to someone sponging her brow with a cool cloth. "Nydia..." Melody whispered, as her head throbbed with a terrible migraine.

"How do you feel?" the soft-spoken girl asked.

"Like I've been run over by a herd of elephants."

Melody slowly sat up in bed with Nydia's help. She was still in the Land of magic.  
>Magenta crystals glittered in the wall around the room. The bed was a nest of black and purple silk. Mab's bed.<p>

Dammit, why did she always wake up here after a bad episode? What this some stupid form of apology for Mab? Something along the lines of _Hey sorry for trying to kill you, why don't you use my bed to recover?_ Melody snorted in disbelief and then gripped her aching head in her hands.

Mab really had almost killed her this time. There was a distinct possibility that Mab would indeed accidentally kill her during one of her many temper tantrums.

Purple wasn't much lighter in color than black. She shouldn't have expected Mab's personality to improve that much.

Turning her attention back to the present, "What are you doing here, Nydia?"

"The mistress summoned me. Said she needed someone to take care of you."

Melody's expression turned to excitement, "How are my parents?"

Nydia looked around nervously, "I'm not supposed to talk about that. But both of them are fine."

Melody's face fell in disappointment at the lack of news.

Nydia cleaned her up and helped her get dressed. Then Melody dragged the girl all over the palace the rest of the day. It felt nice to have a friend again. Melody had forgotten how much she'd missed having someone her own age to talk to.

* * *

><p>A sea of diamonds lay in front of her. But these were not ordinary diamonds. They came in every color imaginable. Turquoise, peridot, sapphire, topaz, garnet, amethyst and more dotted the vibrant collage of jewels.<p>

"Which one? Which one would you like?" Mab glided barefoot through that shimmering landscape. Her white feet a sharp contrast to all the colors.

She plucked a brilliant amethyst diamond from the ground. "This one?" Mab held it out to her, but Melody did not take it.

Mab frowned and dropped it back to the ground. "Come, tell me which one calls to you, my child."

Mab wouldn't let her leave until she picked one. She made Melody walk through the stones, telling her to find the right one. But Mab still seemed upset by the rejection of the first stone she had offered.

Melody finally felt a tug in the east direction. Her eyes followed the strange call and settled on a deep emerald-colored diamond. Hypnotized by an unseen force, her fingers reached for it. As soon as it was in her hands, it felt right, somehow she knew this one was _hers_.

Mab saw the stone's color and sighed, "Very well."

Melody's diamond was put on a silver chain so she could wear it around her neck and hide it underneath her clothes if necessary. Mab told her to keep it with her always. Melody didn't feel like parting with it so that was one order she had no problem obeying. Sometimes she would hold it in her hands, simply because she felt more stable when she was touching it.

* * *

><p>During another one of their <em>lessons, <em>Mab smiled tauntingly at her from across the room. "What happened to the fearless, insolent girl who thought she could challenge me for my crown?"

Melody couldn't move because she couldn't breathe. But she was still on her feet. Just as she was about to collapse, Mab allowed air back into the room. Melody breathed in sweet, cold air and barely kept her balance. "Oh my dear Melody..." Mab moved to caress her face.

Melody snatched her hands away. "I told you, my body is off-limits. I agreed to stay, but I did not agree to stay in your bed."

"Nothing is off-limits if I desire it." Mab asserted calmly. "And my bed has grown cold lately...it needs warm flesh."

"Find somebody else." Melody walked away.

"Somebody else? Like Merlin? ..Or Nydia?" Mab mused aloud with amusement. "There are so many good choices. But which one? Or perhaps more than one..at the same time of course."

Melody stopped and looked back at her with horror. "Don't you dare touch them." she whispered.

"Then _your_ body had better find its way to my bed or I will fill the spot with someone else."

* * *

><p><strong>*pleased grin* Please Review.<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

Melody sat down on the bed, still fully clothed, with arms crossed over her chest. She glared when Mab entered the room. Mab smiled at her, "Is this a new tactic to escape my bed? Glare at me like you would rather injure me than make love to me?"

"Because its the truth." Melody's venom filled her voice.

"Ah I wonder..." Mab moved over to her and slid a hand down her neck and across her chest.

Melody didn't fight it, but she looked up at her with fear. She knew full well Mab could make her say yes to anything when caught in the spell of her seduction.

"You may fight me tonight Melody. In fact, I think I would find that arousing."

Melody didn't waste any time with this new permission to do things. She had wanted to smack that constant self-satisfied smirk off Mab's face for months. Melody's fist crashed into the side of Mab's head, knocking her to the floor. Melody ignored her bruised knuckles as she pounced on top of Mab and wrapped her hands around her pale throat. Mab did nothing to stop her. Not even when Melody's nails made cuts in her neck from squeezing so hard.

As Melody watched her face, it was clear Mab was in no pain despite the violence. Mab's lips were parted delicately, she looked aroused by the brutality. Melody ignored the heat that swelled in her lower abdomen and tried to squeeze harder, wishing she could break her neck.

As though nothing unusual was happening, Mab's hand found her inner thigh and caressed it. Her fingers found their target before Melody could move away.

Now it was Melody's turn to stare with transfixed arousal, her breathing heavy, as she watched the exquisite creature beneath her.

Melody could barely think. She was supposed to be fighting wasn't she? This was her chance to strike with all her anger.

The next moment she was conscious of her surroundings she was on her back and her clothes were missing. Mab circled her fingers slowly over both soft tips of her breasts. A small cry escaped her. They were sore and sensitive.

"Now what happened to the girl who wanted to kill me?" Mab gloated over her.

Melody's vision went red with uncontrollable rage and her teeth sunk into the soft skin of Mab's shoulder. Which was actually a bad idea, Melody realized too late, as sweet nectar blood filled her mouth making her suck wildly and pull Mab closer to her.

Mab moved her knee between her legs. Melody arched up against her knee as hard as she could. Then Mab was sucking on her neck and breasts, increasing the tender pain. She had Melody's wrists pinned above her head with only one hand, refusing to allow Melody to touch her. Melody's body rocked with spasms as she strained against the bondage. "Please..."

But Mab did not grant her freedom and instead merely increased the cruel hot torture below.

"If there's something you want me to do, ask. If there's something you don't want me to do, tell me. If there's something you want me to do again,..._beg._"

Melody's entire being shuddered at that last word. "Please...please...I want to touch you."

Mab fixed her with a penetrating stare. "You want to be in my bed?"

There was a moment's pause of frustration and fury.

"goddammit! YES!"

Mab released her hands.

Melody's trembling fingers roamed over Mab's perfect curves. She wanted to crawl inside Mab's soul. She wanted Mab to crawl inside her soul. She needed to get as close to this ethereal goddess as possible. Nothing less could sate her.

* * *

><p>Why was it that she could always wake up in the most awkward circumstances? Pressed against a naked, sadistic goddess, her wrist still caught between Mab's legs from the night before.<p>

"What an interesting color.." Mab lightly touched the blush spreading across Melody's cheeks, then smirked with deadly grace before catching her lips in an open-mouthed kiss.

Melody's spirit was trembling with worshipful adoration. It was almost like their old trysts back in Avalon, almost. But there was no going back to that time of innocence. In Avalon, she had loved Mab unreservedly because she hadn't yet seen the darker side of her. However, things had changed, Melody had seen Mab's true darkness more times than she could count. She was no longer naïve about her situation. If lusting after Melody made Mab stronger, Mab would do it. If hurting Melody made her stronger, she would do that as well. No strategy, no person was off limits in achieving her goals. Mab put the health of her kingdom before anything else, which meant Melody could never, ever trust her.

* * *

><p><strong>*big grin* Sorry this was just a Mab-porn chapter lol. Please Review.<strong>


	20. Chapter 20

"Enough." Mab pushed the girl away and got up. Melody had been feeding off of her energy again. Maybe the girl thought she could overcome the queen simply by stealing all of her magic. But what Melody didn't seem to realize was that the more she took the more she tied herself to this land.

Mab looked back at the smirking young woman lounging on her bed. Yes, Melody was living under the delusion that she was winning this game. Mab would let her delusion remain for now.

* * *

><p>"Melody. Melody, can you hear me?" Merlin cast his spell into the wind, to carry his whispered words to his daughter's ear.<p>

"Did you want something?"

Merlin whipped around, startled. He hadn't dreamed of such a quick response.

His eyes took in his daughter's new appearance. She had changed great deal in the months he had spent trying to craft a message-spell that would escape Mab's notice but still reach his daughter's ears.

Her midnight hair had grown very long and fell in soft waves around her face. She was wearing a beautiful periwinkle dress, silver earrings, and the glittering hint of faerie glamour on her skin. But his attention was most drawn to the emerald-colored diamond on a silver chain around her neck.

"I thought you promised Mab you wouldn't leave." Merlin stammered, still trying to recover from her sudden appearance and her new outfit.

"She has loosened the leash on me." Melody explained to him. "I've been helping her play games with the politicians in Camelot. That requires allowing me to leave the Land of magic from time to time."

"Does she know you're here?"

"Probably." Melody admitted.

"Then why did you come? She will think you are conspiring against her again."

"Maybe, or maybe she sent me to try to manipulate you again." Melody turned and walked towards the window.

There was a sly expression on her face Merlin had never seen there before.

"How is Nimue?" Melody asked him nonchalantly.

Merlin almost flinched. He noticed she said _Nimue_ instead of _mother_. What had Mab done to the girl?

"Your _mother_ wishes to see you." Merlin laid a delicate stress on the word. "She has missed you the entire time."

Merlin thought he saw some emotion flash across her face for a moment, but she looked away too quickly for him to see what it was. When she looked at him again, her face was back to its flawless perfection. "I want to see her too."

Merlin eyed her warily. "If you behave like this in front of her, you're going to scare her."

"Behave like what?" Melody asked, bewildered.

Merlin tried a different angle. "How about you wear your Avalon robes? I saved them for you."

_No! _her voice came out in a sharp hiss.

Merlin flinched at the sound. But then Melody seemed to shake herself and looked at him again. "I'm sorry I overreacted. I don't feel quite myself today."

Merlin didn't dare mention the white novice robes again. He came up to her and placed his hand against her face. She gasped and her pupils dilated as his skin came into contact with hers.

"Are you really Melody?" Merlin asked, noticing her reaction to his touch.

"Yes, of course I am." Melody answered faintly.

"Then what is wrong?"

Melody's hand covered his and she closed her eyes as she manipulated his touch into a caress of her face.

"She wants you so bad. It makes me wet just thinking about it."

Merlin jerked his hand from her grasp. "Focus, Melody. Don't get lost in her."

Merlin took her hand, although it elicited another delighted gasp from her, and wrapped her fingers around her green stone. Immediately, reality settled back into place and Melody's head cleared.

Melody squeezed her stone tighter, "Merlin...?" she whispered uncertainly.

Merlin breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

><p>Merlin wouldn't let her go see her mother just yet. He asked her many question about what she had been doing, what Mab had been doing. Melody told him everything, betrayed all of Mab's secrets to him. She continued to clutch the emerald the entire time.<p>

In return for the information, Merlin surprised her by pulling out a colored stone of his own.

"They say the chosen diamond shows the nature of the user's magic." Merlin told her, while holding out his amethyst stone where she could see it. His was on a silver chain the same as hers.

"Purple represents wisdom and power. Green represents healing and renewal." Merlin explained. "She wanted you to choose the stone that had the qualities she desires in you."

"She had high hopes for me because I chose the _correct_ color, in her opinion. I can see why she was less pleased with your choice."

Melody smiled at him. "She always hated my early fascination with healing spells."

Melody was intrigued. "What color is her stone?"

"Have you seen her ring?"

Melody's eyes widened in understanding.

Merlin nodded. "That's where she carries her stone. Red represents passion and power."

* * *

><p><strong>That was fun. Please Review.<strong>


	21. Chapter 21

"I want to see my mother." Melody complained.

"Melody, look at yourself, she will have a heart attack." Merlin argued.

Melody pouted and picked at her skirt. "She won't find it lovely?"

"No."

At Melody's look of hurt, Merlin sighed and tried to explain, "You're as beautiful as a princess. The most stunning vision I've seen yet. But your current appearance will only remind Nimue of Mab. You know what Mab did to her."

Melody looked down at that.

"She will think Mab has stolen your soul."

"But she hasn't!" Melody protested. "I am still me. I haven't changed."

Merlin did not agree that she hadn't changed, but he decided not to argue about it.

"Melody, you must stop helping her. Stop toying with human lives in Camelot." Merlin tried to make her see reason.

"Why? One king is much the same as the next."

"The people should have the right to choose their king without outside interference."

"_Choose?_ Since when do people choose their king? A king is whoever is strong enough to seize power and then the people have no choice but to obey."

Melody's hand slipped away from her emerald. "I'm going to see my mother. You do not have the power to make my choices for me. You are not my king."

* * *

><p>Nimue was sleeping peacefully in her bedroom. Merlin had brought her back to Avalon. Who knew what trickery he had used to make Avalon forget neither Nimue nor Merlin were truly welcome here anymore.<p>

Melody stared down at her mother, unsure whether she wanted to wake her or not. Finally, she climbed into bed with her, just like old times, and Nimue seemed to instinctively move over to make more room for her. During her entire childhood she had shared a small room and bed with her mother. It felt nice to relive her childhood memories for just a moment.

Nimue awoke early in the morning, missing the feeling of warmth next to her. Melody's scent lingered strongly in the bed. Nimue pressed her face into the pillow, breathing it in. There was no doubt, Melody had been right next to her, but she had vanished again without a word. Nimue found herself in tears.

* * *

><p>"What did you do to her?" Merlin raged and threw a piece of pottery across the room. It smashed against the wall right next to her.<p>

Queen Mab smirked at this newest fit of pique from her estranged son.

"I did nothing she did not want me to do."

"You are a liar." he seethed at her. "She lusts for me. That isn't natural on any level."

"She lusts for you because I do. Melody is rather in-tune with my thoughts and feelings. After all, she has been actively trying to drain me of my magic."

Merlin looked at her in total confusion, "What? Why would she do that?"

"Secretly, she still seeks to dethrone me and take my crown for herself. She hates and loves being the submissive." Mab gloated. "She's as beautiful and deadly as a cobra and absolutely perfect."

Mab came forward and gripped his face painfully. "I forgot to thank you for creating such a beautiful child for me, my Merlin."

* * *

><p>Due to Mab and Melody's incessant meddling, the land slowly returned to the worship of the Old Ways. Their success, Merlin concluded, was most likely due to there being no strong Christian leader at the time. The New Religion had run out of steam after King Arthur's death. Now the courts were full of petty, squabbling nobles. Manipulating the situation wouldn't have been difficult for Mab. And worse, Melody was helping her. It was like having two Mabs running around at the same time.<p>

Merlin was wearily of it all. He wanted nothing more to do with political games. Arthur's death had taken its toll on him as well. His only desire now was to protect Nimue and Melody, the only people in the world that truly mattered to him. Nimue was safe and sound, tucked away in Avalon, the last Christian stronghold. But Melody was still running amuck, getting into all kinds of trouble. He had succeeded in protecting Nimue, but utterly failed where his daughter was concerned.

Mab wouldn't leave Avalon alone for much longer. She wanted everything and everyone, especially Merlin. They would have no peace as long as she lived.

* * *

><p><strong>Please Review. :)<strong>


	22. Chapter 22

"Melody darling..." Mab purred. "Do you know the origins of Avalon?"

"It used to be a stronghold of the Old Ways." Melody answered. "A house of healing and a training ground for new priestesses."

Mab smiled. "Such a clever girl."

"Yes, Avalon used to belong to me. But they have forgotten. We will have to make them remember."

* * *

><p>Every human has weaknesses, insecurities, and vulnerabilities. The trick was finding which one would work and Queen Mab was a master at finding it. Some people responded well when you gave them aid or compassion. Others needed fear to motivate them into cooperating. Still others could be easily bought with promises of beauty, money, wealth, love, and many other things humans craved. And if they believed magic could answer these desires, then they would turn to magic for the answer.<p>

Merlin felt the magic working at the edges of Avalon. He felt its presence slowly unraveling the faith of the strongest believers. It was like a poison, a cancer, that had seeped into their peaceful corner of the world.

Many times over Merlin had called out to Melody, but he had yet to receive an answer. And then she finally came to him without being called.

This time she was wearing a black dress that contrasted sharply with her pale skin. There was a red haze to the dress as well. She looked every inch a fae seductress now. At the sight of her, he lost almost any hope he had of convincing her. She was too far gone.

"Hello, Merlin." she smiled at him, as she walked around the room lazily, taking in the details. There wasn't much to examine. Avalon wasn't known for its wealth.

"Melody, is it too much to ask for you and your mistress to leave Avalon in peace?"

"She wants Avalon." Melody told him simply, settling her emerald eyes on him again.

"She needs to leave us alone. We want nothing to do with her."

"Why? She misses you." Melody invaded his personal space, laying a hand on his arm.

"Melody, I think you should touch your stone right now." Merlin warned.

"No..I don't want to." Melody leaned in dangerously, crimson lips smirking slightly.

Merlin was frozen in terror.

"She fantasizes about possessing you." Melody whispered in his ear. "I'm almost...jealous."

"She used the same tactics on me, Melody, when nothing else worked." Merlin told her. "I can't believe my own daughter is weak enough to fall under her spell."

Melody scowled at him and back away. "How dare you!"

"Melody, there's still time, you can escape from her."

Melody finally lost her control and smashed him into a wall.

"She loves me!" Melody shrieked. "And she loves you, you idiot! But you never understood that!"

Merlin stared up at her. "And what of your mother? Does her love not matter?"

"Of course she matters." Melody dismissed his words. "But Mab gave me the world."

Melody shook her head at him in disgust and vanished.

* * *

><p>"Where is my daughter?" Nimue asked him for the thousandth time when he entered her room.<p>

"I have failed you, my love."

"What does that mean?" Nimue said in a dangerous voice.

"I don't think I will be able to remove Mab's influence from her. It runs too deep now." Merlin told her mournfully.

"What?" Nimue shrieked. "I want my daughter back. She came to me when I was sleeping. She laid beside me."

"Please...I just want things to return to how they were." Nimue begged him hopelessly. "I loved my daughter. We were happy together in Avalon. No evil could touch us. Now everything I ever loved is slowly being destroyed by Mab's evil powers. Without my daughter, I have nothing left to live for."

And Merlin held her as she cried.

* * *

><p>"Melody, please...why don't you come to me?" Nimue begged the empty courtyard of Avalon.<p>

There was a flash of light behind her and Nimue feared it was Mab coming to her instead. But she turned to face her fear and with a breath of relief discovered it was Melody.

Melody was wearing a black dress made of silk, but plain and unadorned, and no faerie glamour graced her skin. She had taken Merlin's previous warning seriously. She did not want to give her mother a heart attack.

"Mother." Melody's solemn statement and her appearance broke Nimue's heart.

"You look like Mab." her voice was strangely cold.

"I've always looked this way."

"Yes, I know. I used to flinch whenever you touched me. But you were too young to remember."

"But you loved me anyway."

"I thought perhaps the outside did not tell the story of the inside, much like my own scars."

Nimue moved to stand right in front of her daughter. "But I was wrong."

Nimue stabbed her.

Melody's face flooded with pain and confusion, a knife handle sticking out of her gut.

"Why did you...?" Melody sunk to the ground, gasping in pain.

"You will not harm Avalon, Mab."

"But I'm not...her." Melody pleaded with her mother.

"You are. You stole my daughter's soul and possessed her body with your spirit. I no longer see any difference between the two of you, demon."

Melody was still bleeding on the ground, staring up at her mother in disbelief, when Nimue suddenly grasped at her throat.

Nimue fell to the ground, clawing at her neck.

Melody watched in shock, her vision still blurred by the agony burning in her side.

* * *

><p><strong>I kinda tried something different with this fic. In most of our fics, Mab always has the disadvantage because her religion is on the decline. But what if we reversed that scenario and made it so the New Religion constantly had the disadvantage instead? Its far from over, please review.<strong>


	23. Chapter 23

She must have blacked out from her injury because she woke with a scream when Mab roughly jerked the knife out of her flesh.

"You must be more careful, my sweet. There are people in this world who still wish you harm."

Melody gripped her side, struggling not to scream in pain again.

"Come, heal yourself child. I know your talent with healing spells."

And Melody did heal herself. But when she was finished, a discolored line still marked her skin. Somehow she knew this was a wound she could not bear to erase completely.

She pulled her mother's dead body into her arms and stared at it, feeling hopelessly lost.

The courtyard was completely silent. No one had come to investigate. Mab must have thrown a silence and concealment spell around the area.

Rage began to boil in Melody's stomach. The longer Melody stared at her mother's corpse, the angrier she became.

"You killed her!" Melody turned rage filled eyes towards Mab.

Mab was taken by surprise. "She tried to kill you."

"You didn't have to kill her to stop her!"

"You stupid girl. When someone stabs you with the intent to destroy you that is not the time for mercy."

"She was my mother!"

"You don't need her anymore."

Melody screamed in response to that heartless statement. Her scream shattered several nearby windows. "I hate you!" she shrieked.

Mab back away into the shadows of the building, uncertain what to do now. Somehow she had misstepped when she thought she was only protecting Melody.

Humans were truly annoying, their behavior never made any sense to her.

She disappeared back to her world, hoping Melody would follow later after her grief had settled.

* * *

><p>Merlin held her as she cried into his shoulder. Nimue was buried where all the nuns of Avalon were buried, a small plot behind the north wall.<p>

And even while Melody cried on him, even while she felt such horrible sadness, she could still feeling a roaring desire throbbing low in her stomach. Whenever she was in skin-on-skin contact with him, she felt everything that Mab wanted to do to him. Melody felt like retching. She hated her, but the woman was still in her bloodstream, still making her feel things that shouldn't be there.

* * *

><p>Merlin had offered her back her white novice robe, but Melody had refused it. It reminded her of her mother. This whole place reminded her every single second of her miserable existence. But she also refused the robe because she knew she could never go back to her old self. She was no longer a Daughter of Avalon, though it broke her heart to finally admit that to herself.<p>

Melody slept in Merlin's room at Avalon because her mother's room smelled like her mother and she couldn't stand it. Merlin slept in the same room as her in a chair, if he slept at all. He spent a large amount of his time staring out of the window or wandering the grounds in silence.

In an impressive display of willpower, Melody did not return to the Land of magic even though her body cried out for it all the time. The Land of magic was Mab's home. Melody's body was full to the brim with Mab's power. It kept telling her to go home.

She would not return. She would not forgive Mab. Mab had manipulated Melody since Mab first set foot in Avalon all those years ago. Everything that followed was Mab's doing. Nimue's rejection of her only daughter was Mab's fault.

Her mother wouldn't have tried to kill her if Mab didn't exist. Her mother wouldn't have died if Mab didn't exist. Her whole life wouldn't have been destroyed if Mab didn't exist.

"You don't exist!" Melody screamed at the ceiling suddenly. Merlin twitched awake in his chair and stared at her for the sudden outburst.

* * *

><p>Melody would kill her. Merlin thought it impossible.<p>

"The people would have to forget her. That's how I killed her last time. There are too many people who remember her now. It's impossible."

"No, there is another way. I will destroy everything she is. Just like she did to me."

"How?"

"You gave me the answer yourself long ago, Merlin."

"Where do you intend to confront her?" Merlin asked. "I don't think you should do it in the middle of her domain, for example."

"It doesn't matter where." Melody answered softly. "She cannot defend against this kind of attack."

"But...in order for this to work, you will have to surrender your hatred."

"I know."

"Are you sure you can do that?"

"I will do what I must."

* * *

><p><strong>*sigh sigh sigh* Melody what are we going to do with you?<strong>


	24. Chapter 24

"Mab." Melody spoke to the night air.

Mab appeared instantly. "You called me, Melody."

Mab took in Melody's haggard appearance. She was still wearing the black silk dress from the night Nimue was killed. Mab could see the dark stains on it from Melody's own blood. The dress was in tatters. Delicate materials like satin were not made to last when worn day in and day out in a stone abbey.

"Come child, don't you want to bathe? We can get you a clean dress as well. A princess should not suffer needlessly."

Melody glared at her. "You killed my mother."

Mab rolled her eyes. "I was protecting you. Does that not count for anything?"

"I told you before, there was no need to go that far. She didn't have to die."

"Yes, she did. I will kill anything that harms what is mine."

"I do not belong to you."

"And there you go again Melody. Fighting me for no reason at all." Mab stepped closer to her. "Does it make everything more exciting if you resist me? Is it thrilling to defy me?"

"You treated Merlin the same way and he learned to defy you because of it."

"I did try to seduce Merlin when he first came to me. And just like you, he hated me for it." Mab acknowledged. "However, there is an important difference between the two of you."

Mab moved even closer to whisper it to her. "The difference is that you secretly want me to fuck you."

That was the last straw for Melody. Her hand plunged with fury towards Mab's chest as though she held an invisible dagger. But Mab's barrier stopped her hand in its tracks.

Mab wrapped her hand around Melody's wrist and the girl released a cry at the touch.

"You should come home. Your body needs it."

When Melody made no response except a snarl of denial, Mab sharply jerked on her wrist, pulling Melody's body against her own. Melody's knees went weak and it was only Mab's tight grip on her waist that kept her from falling.

Mab was cradling Melody's face when Merlin showed up.

"If he touches us now, he gets to join in the coming revelry." Mab smirked.

Melody twisted her head around, trying to warn Merlin with her eyes to run away.

But Merlin must have thought the expression on her face was a call for help instead of a warning.

He came right for her, trying to protect her from Mab. As soon as he touched Melody's arm, Mab whisked all three of them away.

Merlin tumbled onto the floor when they arrived in Mab's bedchamber. The only reason Melody didn't fall with him was because Mab still had the girl in her grasp.  
>"Damn you, Mab!" Merlin cursed her, as black vines sprang from the floor and pulled him down, trapping him against the cold stone.<p>

Maniacal laughter bubbled up and filled the chamber.

Other than the fact she was still trapped against Mab, Melody felt much better now that she had breathed in the air of that world after weeks of being deprived of it.

Mab pressed her lips against Melody's neck.

_I have to let go of my hatred. I have to let it go or this will never work_ Melody chanted to herself over and over again as she felt Mab's lips travel upward.

Mab pressed her lips against Melody's so fiercely that Melody risked cutting her lips against her own teeth. So she opened to Mab and Mab gave her the taste of her lips, tongue, and...blood.

Mab had drank from someone recently. Her mouth was full of mortal blood.

_Nydia!_ Somehow Melody was able to recognize the blood. She hoped Mab hadn't truly harmed the girl.

Here she was, drinking her best friend's blood from Mab's mouth with Merlin tied up on the floor. But she couldn't fight it, not yet, not if she wanted to win.

"What did you do to Nydia?" Melody whispered, when Mab relinquished her mouth.

"You said you hated me. I was angry. But I did no permanent damage to your friend." Mab told her.

That was a relief. Nydia was alright. The tension drained out of her at the good news.

Mab felt the girl's body beginning to relax against her. "Finally," Mab spoke aloud and dragged her over to the bed. "you've decided to surrender."

"Not quite." Melody pulled her into a searing kiss, tried to force her light down Mab's throat like last time.  
>But Mab ripped her away. "That is not something I want to swallow again, my emerald faery."<p>

There was real fear in Melody's eyes now.

Mab laughed when she saw it. "You actually thought that would work. My dear Melody, no matter what you might manage to make me swallow, I am still the Queen of Air and Darkness and always will be. No amount of Light will change that."

She pinned Melody to the bed with her body. "Darkness devours the Light, my love."


	25. Chapter 25

Both of them were on their knees, bodies undulating against each other, on the bed.

Mab's hand was between their bodies doing god knows what. Melody's arms were wrapped around her neck.

Mab broke off for a moment to glance down at Merlin.

"You want him don't you?" Melody asked her.

"Of course. But he's never wanted me."

"I could make him want you."

Mab turned back to her with an fiendish smirk. "And how would you do that?"

"You can watch...while I _play _with him." Melody suggested.

Mab sighed as though she very much liked the sound of that.

"Melody...?" Merlin watched as Melody crawled toward him in a predatory way.

Melody's predatory advance did not falter.

No this was not Melody. This was a girl whose mind was so clouded with Mab's darkness and lust she had no idea what was really going on.

"Hold on a second." Merlin tried to buy time as Melody pounced on him. "I do not want her to touch me."

"And why not?" Mab asked. "I thought you loved her."

"Not in this way. Please do not do this to Melody, Mab."

"What will you give me in return?"

Merlin knew what she wanted. It was the whole point of setting Melody loose on him.

"I would rather you touch me, Mab."

"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard that correctly." she gloated.

"I want you to touch me, Mab." Merlin spoke through gritted teeth.

"Maybe if you said that with a sweeter tongue I would believe you." Mab said dismissively. "I think we will have to see if Melody can soften you."

Melody's hand closed around him and he groaned unwillingly. Mab stilled, watching every move with unrestrained delight.

Melody came down on him hard and rode him. Mab watched the entire time, occasionally reaching out to stroke Merlin or Melody as though she couldn't resist doing so.

And when Melody was done with him, she used her healing magic and brought him back to ready form again so Mab could enjoy him next.

* * *

><p>When Melody awoke, she found that this time Mab was in the center with Merlin's arm draped around her bare waist. Melody gave no reaction to last night's events and simply gazed at Mab. There was nothing Mab could do now that would surprise her. Melody decided she must be in shock right now and the hysterics would come later.<p>

Mab trailed her fingers down Melody's leg as she searched the girl's face for a reaction.

"How do you feel?" Mab asked, when a reaction was not forthcoming.

"I'm fine." her tone was dull and lifeless.

_I think I've finally tamed her._ was Mab's last gleeful thought.

Mab reached for her, but Merlin's arm tightened around her waist and pulled her back into his body. Mab jerked in surprise as he wrenched her body beneath his and rammed himself inside of her as hard as he could. Merlin looked over at Melody with an expression that said quite clearly, _Run!_

Melody scrambled off the bed, found her clothes, and fled the room. Mab snarled in irritation, but Merlin pulled out of her and fiercely entered her again, providing the ultimate distraction.

"You really think you're buying her time to escape?" Mab laughed as she happily raised her hips to meet his third thrust.

"I wasn't able to protect Nimue, but I will protect Melody."

"She won't get far. This is a pointless act."

Merlin crushed his lips against hers to keep her from speaking any more infuriating words.

"As soon as you're finished, I'm going after her...so try to make it last." Mab smirked up at him. "Every thrust buys her one more second of freedom."

She wrapped her legs around him as he continued the rhythm, but his teeth and nails sank into her skin multiple times.

* * *

><p><strong>Haha! I love Mab. She is bloody brilliant. Please Review.<strong>

**Note: school is back in session so updates will likely be much slower from now on.  
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